President Joe Biden said on Saturday that the United States had sent a private message to Iran regarding Iranian-backed Houthi rebels responsible for attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.

“We passed it on privately and we’re confident we’re well prepared,” President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House before leaving for Camp David, the president’s weekend residence, Reuters and Agerpres reported.

The Houthi movement threatened a “strong and effective response” after the United States launched another attack in Yemen overnight, further raising tensions as Washington vows to protect shipping from attacks by the Iran-allied group.

The latest strike, which the US said hit the radar, came a day after dozens of US and UK strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

White House spokesman John Kirby said Friday that the first strikes hit the Houthi rebels’ ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones the group has used to threaten ships.

He stated that Washington is not interested in a war with Yemen.

Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from the State Department’s list of “foreign terrorist organizations” on Friday, was asked by reporters on Friday whether he considered the term “terrorist” to describe the movement today. “I think so,” Biden said.

Iran is deploying additional missile units and drones near its borders

Iran is strengthening its borders with missile units and drones amid rising tensions in the region, the commander of its ground forces said, DPA reported on Saturday.

Eleven combat units are also stationed at the borders to ensure the country’s permanent security, the commander of the ground forces, Brigadier General Kiumars Heydari, said in an interview with the Iranian state agency IRNA on Saturday, according to Agerpres.

However, Heydari denied the existence of a clear external threat to the country.

Three months after the start of the war in Gaza, tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate. Observers are particularly concerned about the situation in the Red Sea, where the conflict may escalate significantly.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Shiite Houthi militia has repeatedly attacked commercial vessels believed to be linked to Israel in recent weeks. With the support of Great Britain and other Western governments, the United States responded by bombing the positions of the Islamist group in Yemen, DPA also reminds.

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