An American destroyer “operating in the northern Red Sea” shot down three surface-to-surface missiles and several drones “potentially heading toward targets in Israel” on Thursday that were fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Pentagon said .
“To our knowledge, no injuries have been reported among USS Carney sailors or civilians on the ground,” the US Department of Defense said during a press conference.
The Iran-backed Houthis seized control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, sparking a war against government forces that has left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions, plunging the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The interception of these drones and missiles comes against the backdrop of Washington’s increasing fears of Tehran’s direct involvement in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas, which has already claimed several thousand lives.
In Iraq on Wednesday, drone strikes against American forces and the international coalition in Iraq were “foiled” and the planes were “shot down,” causing minor injuries, American military authorities said. Armed Iraqi groups close to Iran have threatened in recent days to attack American interests in Iraq because of Washington’s support for Israel.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced Saturday that the United States would send a second aircraft carrier to the eastern Mediterranean to “deter hostile actions against Israel or any efforts to expand that war.”