The U.S. carried out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen for a second straight day Friday, two U.S. officials said, further involving the Biden administration in a Middle East fight that has split opinion in Washington.

The U.S., alongside four other countries, hit nearly 30 Houthis positions Thursday night after the Iran-backed militant group escalated its attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. President Joe Biden authorized the strikes designed to punish the Houthis and deter them from further threatening global trade.