A US Navy warship shot down multiple missiles launched by Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, potentially aimed at Israel, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer operating near the northern part of the Red Sea, shot down three land attack cruiser shells and multiple drones heading north, Brig. This was confirmed by General Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary.
“This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are ready to use when necessary to protect our partners and our interests,” Ryder told reporters Thursday.
U.S. officials decided to shoot down the projectiles after determining that “they posed a potential threat,” Ryder said, noting that the military is trying to assess what the target was.
“We can’t say for sure what these missiles and drones were aimed at, but they were launched from Yemen in a northerly direction along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel,” Ryder continued.
The USS Carney shot down projectiles from Iran-backed Houthi forces, the Pentagon said Thursday. AP US forces have had some clashes in the Middle East amid heightened tensions over the conflict between Israel and Hamas. US NAVY/MC2 JACOB MATTINGLY HANDOUT/EPA -EFE/Shutterstock
The Houthis are predominantly made up of Zaidi Shia Muslims and are aligned with Tehran, which is a Shia-majority theocracy.
The United States has provided support for Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen with the intention of giving its government full territorial control of the nation, while the Houthis struggle to secede and govern the country.
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The Houthis have been deeply sympathetic to the Palestinians in their conflict with the Israelis. Last week many took to the streets waving Palestinian flags.
US officials are concerned that Iran will target US forces or Israel through its various proxies in the region.ZUMAPRESS.com Iranian protesters are seen setting fire to US and Israeli flags.Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, the Houthi leader, warned the United States against meddling in the conflict ravaging the Jewish state.
Meanwhile, President Biden, who visited Israel on Wednesday, warned Iran to stay out of the conflict.
“We brought the American carrier fleet to the eastern Mediterranean and we are sending more fighter jets to that region, and we made it clear to the Iranians: be careful,” Biden warned shortly after war broke out in Israel.
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Biden has directed two US aircraft carriers, the USS Ford and the USS Eisenhower, as well as their strike forces into the Mediterranean Sea in a show of force as the conflict escalates.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman (right) meets with a delegation of Yemen’s Houthi rebels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on September 19.AP
Thursday’s shelling came on the heels of other military clashes in the region. On Wednesday, two drones were spotted in Syria near where US forces were stationed, according to the Pentagon.
One was destroyed and another crashed into the al-Tanf garrison in Syria. Earlier in the day, warning systems came on indicating a threat near al-Asad Air Base where U.S. forces are based, but no attack occurred.
And on Tuesday, the US military defended three drones near US forces in Iraq, Ryder said.
“Our goal will be to continue to ensure that we are deterring a potential broader regional conflict,” Ryder emphasized.
President Biden met in person with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday. ZUMAPRESS.com
Biden will address the nation from the Oval Office during a speech at 8 p.m. ET.
Since the surprise Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, more than 5,000 people on both sides have been killed, including at least 30 Americans, according to officials.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn