U.S. strikes not connected to broader Yemen conflict: Pentagon

"These strikes are not connected to the broader conflict in Yemen. The United States continues to encourage all parties in the Yemen conflict to commit to a cessation of hostilities and to seek a political solution to that conflict," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook told a news conference.

"Our actions overnight were a response to hostile action, the launch of multiple missiles that presented a threat to U.S. Navy vessels, to other ships in the area and to commerce in a strategic international waterway."

(Reporting by Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Editing by Leslie Adler)