Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Houthis in Yemen have shot down another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, sources told Fox News. This is the third such drone the rebels have shot down since March 3 and the second shot down since the U.S. began conducting daily strikes.While the U.S. has been carrying out airstrikes daily for 20 days straight, there have been few updates from the Trump administration on the status of the operation. The Pentagon has not held a press briefing in weeks, and the Defense Department has been quiet about the ongoing strikes.AFTER DEBILITATING STRIKES, TRUMP TELLS HOUTHIS: STOP SHOOTING AT US AND ‘WE WILL STOP SHOOTING AT YOU’ On Tuesday, the State Department announced sanctions on “financial facilitators, procurement operatives, and companies operating as part of a global illicit finance network supporting the Houthis.” The State Department put forward sanctions after the Houthis shot down the first Reaper in early March, citing weapons smuggling as the reason. TRUMP’S SIGHTS SET ON IRAN AFTER US AIRSTRIKES DECIMATE MORE THAN 30 HOUTHI TARGETSLate last month, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz spoke about the airstrikes in an interview with CBS’ “Face the Nation.””These guys are like al Qaeda or ISIS with advanced cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and some of the most sophisticated air defenses, all provided by Iran,” Waltz said. “Keeping the sea lanes open, keeping trade and commerce open, is a fundamental aspect of our national security,” he added. MQ-9 Reaper drones cost approximately $30 million each, according to the Congressional Research Service. Houthis have shot down 13 U.S. drones since October 2023, when the Israel-Hamas war started, however, a source told Fox News that it could be as many as 17 Reapers. The U.S. had 230 MQ-9 Reaper drones in its arsenal as of December 2024, a U.S. defense official told Fox News. These drones are primarily used to collect intelligence but can be armed with up to eight laser-guided Hellfire missiles, according to the U.S. Air Force.Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin contributed to this report.
