WASHINGTON (NewsNation) — The United States was not involved, nor did it coordinate or assist Israel with airstrikes on the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday, the White House National Security Council said in a statement to NewsNation.

“We fully recognize and acknowledge Israel’s right to self-defense,” it added.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced its fighter jets had struck Houthi “military targets” in the area of the Al Hudaydah Port in Yemen – which serves as an entryway for Iranian weapons – in retaliation to the “hundreds of attacks” against Israel in recent months.

“To Israel’s enemies… do not doubt Israel’s determination to defend itself on every front. All those who seek to harm us will pay a very heavy price for their aggression,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video message immediately following the blast.

Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree posted on social media that the group will respond to Israel’s “blatant aggression,” noting that it “will not hesitate to strike vital targets of the Israeli enemy.”

On Friday, a drone launched by Houthi fighters in Yemen successfully hit Tel Aviv, killing one person and injuring several others. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed the country would “settle the score.”

In a statement after Israel’s strikes, Gallant said “the Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Gallant, on Saturday night about the IDF’s operation in Yemen. Austin “acknowledged Israel’s action followed months of Houthi attacks against the State of Israel,” according to a readout of the call provided by the Pentagon.

“The Secretary reaffirmed the United States’ ironclad commitment to Israel’s security and Israel’s right to self-defense.”

Within the last twenty-four hours, U.S. Central Command reported that its forces had destroyed one Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Red Sea.

A White House official said President Joe Biden – who is self-isolating in Delaware after testing positive for Covid – received a briefing on the “developments” in the Middle East from his deputy national security adviser Jon Finer.