The commander of the US Navy in the Middle East, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, said on Monday that Iran is “directly” involved in the Yemeni Houthi group’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

While Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US Fifth Fleet, in his statements to the Associated Press, did not accuse Iran of directing specific attacks, he said that Iran had expanded its previous threats in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz to the waters of the Middle East.

The commander of the Fifth Fleet said: “It is clear that the Houthis’ actions, with regard to their attacks on commercial shipping, are the largest and most significant that we have seen in at least two generations.”

He added: “The facts are simply that they are attacking the international community, and hence the international response that you saw.”

Since last year, the Houthi group has launched attacks on ships in the waters of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which it says are “bound to Israel.” In response to these attacks, the United States and Britain launched about 7 rounds of strikes on sites in Yemen, targeting what they said were The group's missile launch sites.