White House says it’s ‘not looking for war’ with Houthis

In additional remarks by Kirby, the spokesman said that the US is not looking for a war with the Houthis.

“We’re not looking to expand this. The Houthis have a choice to make and they still have time to make the right choice, which is to stop these reckless attacks,” he said.

The Houthis began targeting ships travelling along the Red Sea in response to Israel’s war on Gaza. The group initially said it was only targeting ships that were travelling towards Israel, a claim that the US rejects.

The Yemeni group also says it will end its targeting of vessels once Israel stops its war on Gaza, and lifts the blockade on the enclave.