The United States destroyed a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile that was ready to launch soon after the second round of joint American-British strikes against the Yemeni rebels, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. “Shortly after taking these strikes, an additional Huthi target was struck by the US in self-defence, destroying an anti-ship cruise missile that was prepared to launch and which presented an imminent threat to vessels operating in the region,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said. The additional strike occurred “probably within 15 to 30 minutes of the main operation there”, Ryder…