US authorities are not seeking conflict with the Houthis in Yemen, said John Kirby, strategic communications coordinator at the White House National Security Council.
“No one wants conflict with the Houthis. We are not seeking conflict with Yemen. In this case, we are trying to stop the attacks,” he said on CBS television, referring to the US and British strikes on Yemen.
The New York Times earlier quoted U.S. officials as saying that the U.S. and British strikes on Yemen had reduced the ability of the Houthis to attack ships in the Red Sea by a third.