A US Navy warship intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones, which were allegedly launched by the Houthi movement from Yemen and were potentially headed toward Israel, according to the Pentagon. This incident occurred on Thursday, with heightened tensions in the region during the Israel-Hamas war, causing Washington to be on high alert for activity by Iran-backed groups.
The Pentagon reported that the destroyer USS Carney was operating in the northern Red Sea on the same day when it successfully intercepted these projectiles. Fortunately, there were no injuries resulting from this operation.
Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder stated, "We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel."
An anonymous US official commented that it did not appear that the warship was the intended target.
In response to the regional tensions, the US had deployed a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in the past week, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships, and approximately 2,000 Marines.