The Houthi rebels in Yemen, designated as a terrorist organization by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have fired ballistic missiles at three commercial ships in the Red Sea. The U.S. military responded by shooting down three drones in self-defense during the assault. The Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, claimed responsibility for two of the attacks. This incident marks an escalation in maritime attacks in the Middle East amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. The U.S. military has pledged to consider all appropriate responses, explicitly pointing to Iran’s involvement and citing a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security.
The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, detected a ballistic missile fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Unity Explorer. The missile hit near the ship, the U.S. said. Shortly afterward, the Carney shot down a drone headed its way, although it’s not clear if the destroyer was the target, Central Command said.
About 30 minutes later, the Unity Explorer was hit by a missile. While responding to its distress call, the Carney shot down another incoming drone. Central Command said the Unity Explorer sustained minor damage from the missile. The Houthi rebels
Two other commercial ships, the Panamanian-flagged bulk carriers Number 9 and Sophie II, were both struck by missiles. The Number 9 reported some damage but no casualties, and the Sophie II reported no significant damage, Central Command said.
The Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, encountered and successfully shot down another drone while en route to assist the Sophie II at approximately 4:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT). This adds to the Carney’s history of intercepting rockets launched by Houthi rebels during Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Despite these incidents, the Carney remains undamaged, and no injuries have been reported on board. The Defense Department initially characterized the event as an attack on the Carney, later providing more details on the drone encounters.