Biden administration faces growing pressure to strike back at Iranian-backed Houthis

The Biden administration is facing growing pressure to strike back at the Houthis over their continuing barrage in the Red Sea.

Following weeks of warnings from U.S. officials to Houthi rebels that there would be repercussions if their assaults on vessels in the Red Sea continued, the Yemeni group launched its largest bombardment to date -- intensifying pressure on the Biden administration to retaliate against the Iranian-backed militia.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Tuesday that the Houthis fired off a "complex attack" comprised of armed drones, anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile on Tuesday night -- the 26th strike on the region's commercial shipping routes since Nov. 19.

The barrage was intercepted by American and British warships and no injuries were reported, but the brazen nature of the strike has cast doubt that words alone will be enough to contain the threat posed by the Houthi fighters, which has already created significant disruptions to commercial shipping in the region, according to CENTCOM.

In a bold statement issued on Wednesday, the Houthis declared that the group had specifically targeted a U.S. ship.

"The Navy, Rocket Forces, and the Air Force of the Yemeni (Houthi) Armed Forces carried out a joint military operation using a significant number of ballistic missiles, naval assets, and drones, targeting an American ship that was providing support to the Zionist entity," said Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea.