The United States launches the sixth round of strikes on the Houthis

The United States on Friday launched a sixth round of strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, a US defense official confirmed to The Hill.

F/A-18 fighter jets took off from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to strike the Houthis who were preparing to launch anti-ship missile launchers, according to the Associated Press.

The United States has launched strikes almost every day this week, targeting Houthi operations and capabilities in a mission to protect the Red Sea from the Iranian-backed armed group.

The almost daily fighting comes after an initial round of strikes targeting radar and missile sites last week with the aim of weakening Houthi operations.

However, Houthi militants are resisting bombardment and responding with an attack after almost every US strike.

The US struggle to stamp out Houthi operations targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea is leaving global trade in disarray, with the armed group severely disrupting shipping since attacks began in late November.

Along with the strikes, the United States has also deployed a naval task force to the Red Sea to protect commercial shipping, but many major shipping companies remain nervous. They avoided the transit route and decided to circumnavigate Africa on a much longer journey.

Houthi militants say they will continue attacking targets in the Red Sea as long as Israel continues its war in Gaza against the Palestinian Hamas movement.