The USS Carney, a US Navy guided-missile destroyer in the northern Red Sea, on Thursday shot down several missiles and drones launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, which the Pentagon said may have been headed toward targets in Israel.
This is the first time in recent memory that a US Navy ship in the Middle East has engaged with missiles and drones that were not directly targeting the ship.
It is also the first US military action taken to defend Israel in the current crisis, and with the US and other countries trying to contain the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the possibility of an Iranian-backed group launching missiles and drones at Israel is certain. Increasing regional tensions.
The ship was in the northern Red Sea on Thursday evening local time when it intercepted three ground-attack cruise missiles and several drones, said Pentagon spokesman Brig. General Pat Rader said in a press conference: US officials told ABC News that Carney shot down eight drones launched by the Houthis.
The initial US assessment was that the USS Carney was not the target of any Houthi missiles or drones, according to several US officials.
“We cannot say with certainty what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen, heading north along the Red Sea, possibly to targets in Israel,” Ryder said, adding that information about the clashes was still being processed.
An official said it was not clear where the Houthi militia missiles were fired from, but they were heading towards the north.
The Houthis are an Iranian-backed Shiite movement that has taken control of much of northern Yemen and have been at war in recent years while Yemen has been at war with the Saudi-led coalition since 2015.
As part of this conflict, the Houthis have launched missiles and drones deep into Saudi Arabia, but the missiles intercepted Thursday appeared not to be targeting targets inside Saudi Arabia.
Last week, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi was quoted as saying that if the United States intervened directly in the conflict in Gaza, his group would respond by launching drones and missiles, and would take other military options.
“There are red lines when it comes to Gaza,” he said.
Thursday’s incident occurred during the early evening hours (local time) when missiles and drones were spotted moving north over the waters of the Red Sea.
A US official told ABC News that the missiles fired by the Houthis intercepted SM2 missiles carried aboard the US ship USS Carney. No information has been revealed about the weapons platform on board the Carney that shot down the eight drones.
Dean. General Ryder told reporters that the interceptions were carried out over water and not on land. No sailors on the ship were harmed, according to a US official.
The United States has strengthened its military presence in the region since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas about two weeks ago.
The destroyer USS Carney is part of the aircraft carrier strike group USS Gerald R. Ford deployed to the eastern Mediterranean to deter Iran and Hezbollah from joining the war between Israel and Hamas. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently extended the Ford Strike Group’s deployment so it can remain in the eastern Mediterranean, and ordered the deployment of additional fighter jets to US air bases in the region.
To increase US deterrence against any expansion of the conflict, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower will join the Ford strike group that departed Norfolk, Virginia, on Saturday and could arrive in the region within the next seven to 10 days. .
He added: “By deploying these US naval assets and advanced combat aircraft in the region, we aim to send a strong message aimed at deterring a broader conflict, enhancing regional stability, and of course making clear that we will protect and defend our national security interests.” Ryder told reporters Thursday.
The USS Carney had just crossed into the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on Wednesday, which is why the destroyer remained located in the northern part of those bodies of water bordering Egypt, Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
A senior US official told ABC News that the missile shot down by the USS Carney will strengthen deterrence in the region and show that the show of force is serious.
The risks to US forces and US interests in the region have increased, especially in the wake of the deadly explosion that occurred in a hospital in Gaza earlier this week, which inflamed regional tensions.
On Wednesday, US military forces shot down three drones as they approached bases in western and northern Iraq, and another drone was shot down near US forces in eastern Syria on Thursday.
An American contractor who was sheltering at a base in Iraq died of a heart attack in one of the incidents.
On Thursday, Al-Asad Air Base in western Iraq was subjected to indirect fire, according to a US official.
Steve Ganyard, an ABC News contributor and former Pentagon official, said Carney’s downing of Houthi missiles opens up the possibility that the U.S. Navy might have to put more ships in the Red Sea if the U.S. commits to protecting Israel from a southern attack.
“The biggest concern is whether Iran now considers American ships to be fair game,” Gagnard said. “Because if the Houthis fired on an American ship, there would be no doubt that it was heading in the direction of Tehran.”
“However, there is nothing to suggest, and no known reason to believe, that Iran wants to fight with the United States and/or Israel,” Gagnard said. “So, hopefully things will calm down.”
ABC News’ Martha Raddatz contributed to this report.
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