Tensions are continuing to rise in the Middle east.

The US carried out additional strikes on.

Houthi targets in Yemen.

And with me now is CNN's military.

Analyst and retired air force Colonel Cedric Layton.

Colonel Layton, I mean, this certainly seems like a ramp up by the US and its allies. We saw what took place on Thursday, and now we're seeing even more.

That's right.

Attacks and more targets.

What can you show us here?

So the big thing here is these.

Are the latest attacks.

So what we used was the platform.

Of the USS Carney, which is a.

Cruiser that has Tomahawk missiles on board it.

So they fired the Tomahawk land attack.

Missiles, as they're called, or t lamps, to go after a radar facility which.

Is actually near the capital of Sana.

This was different from Thursday's attacks, which had a multination coalition that was basically part of it from a military perspective.

It was the US and the UK. The rest of these countries supported this effort.

Everyone from Australia to Bahrain, the only arab nation. Plus Canada, the Netherlands supported this effort as part of the operation that is protecting assets in the Red Sea.

Yeah.

And what about the map?

Let's look at this map, because one.

Of the, I mean, a lot of folks at home might be wondering, okay, how many targets might you have when it comes to going after the Houthis? And when we heard 60 targets in that initial round, just judging by that.

I would find it surprising that there.

Would be additional targets after that.

But we shouldn't take this lightly. I mean, this is a quasi state almost that you're talking about here with the hootie.

It is.

The hooties are actually really a government.

In this part of Yemen.

And from a targeting perspective, what's interesting.

Is you have military bases in places.

Like the capital, Sana.

You have air bases near there.

You have a drone launch site, which can be really important, especially as it.

Points down into the Red Sea area. This area right here is critical.

That's the Babel Mandeb.

This is the gate of sorrows, as it's actually called. This is where all that traffic, all.

That sea traffic goes through from the.

Gulf of Aidan and the Indian Ocean.

All the way up toward the Suez Canal.

And all of these military bases that are in all of these areas, those are all legitimate targets because what they.

Do, Jim, is they provide a place.

For the houtis to launch the kinds.

Of attacks that they can using these.

Kinds of weapons, cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and long range drones. And those are pretty potent weapons.

Yeah.

And this is why they have been.

Such a menace to shipping. I guess vessels in the Red Sea absolutely.

Been going on for weeks.

So it has.

And one of the key things that.

Is part of this is that there's been a 20% reduction in shipping activity.

Major shipping firms like Marisk, for example, have actually moved their shipments from the.

Red Sea to go around Africa because the rerouting actually forces them to add.

About 3000 nautical miles and extra days, about eight to ten days longer in.

A journey that otherwise would be a.

Lot shorter going through the Red Sea.

And the Suez Canal.

So this is really important from an.

Economic standpoint, and it's also important from.

A military and geopolitical standpoint.

Yeah, it's obviously a lot more expensive.

To go all the way around as opposed to straight through the.

Let's see.

All right, Colonel Layton, very important, very insightful as always.

Thanks so much.

Appreciate it.