American forces targeted 14 missiles that were ready to launch in Yemen, the US military said Wednesday, after Washington re-designated the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a “terrorist” entity for their attacks on merchant vessels. The Houthis – who have already faced multiple rounds of air strikes in response to their targeting of international shipping – struck a US-owned bulk cargo carrier in the wake of the designation announcement, and vowed to continue attacks they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza. US forces “conducted strikes on 14 Iran-backed Houthi missiles that were loaded to …