A US Navy warship shot down multiple missiles launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen — potentially headed for Israel, the Pentagon said Thursday.
The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer vessel operating near the northern part of the Red Sea, downed three land attack cruise projectiles and multiple drones that were heading north, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary confirmed.
“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 prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests,” Ryder told reporters Thursday.
US officials decided to shoot down the projectiles after determining they “posed a potential threat,” Ryder said, noting the military is trying to assess what the target was.
“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,” Ryder continued.
Houthis are predominantly comprised of Zaidi Shia Muslims, and are aligned with Tehran, which is a Shiite majority theocracy.
The US has lent support to Saudi Arabia’s intervention in Yemen intended to give full territorial control of the nation to its government, as the Houthis battle to breakaway and govern the country.
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Houthis have been deeply sympathetic to the Palestinians in their conflict with the Israelis. Last week many took to the streets waving Palestinian flags.
Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, the Houthi leader, has warned the US not to meddle in the conflict raging in the Jewish state.
Meanwhile, President Biden, who visited Israel Wednesday, warned Iran to stay out of the conflict.
“We moved the US carrier fleet to the eastern Mediterranean and we are sending more fighter jets to that region — and made it clear to the Iranians: Be careful,” Biden warned shortly after the war in Israel erupted.
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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 intensifies.
The projectiles on Thursday come on the heels of other military scuffles 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 that same day, warning systems flared indicating a threat near the al-Asad airbase where US forces are based, but no attack occurred.
And on Tuesday, the US military fended off three drones near American forces in Iraq, Ryder said.
“Our focus is going to be continuing to ensure we are deterring a potential broader regional conflict,” Ryder stressed.
Biden is set to address the nation from the Oval Office during a speech at 8 pm ET.
Since Hamas’ surprise Oct. 7 terror attack in Israel, over 5,000 people on both sides have died, including at least 30 Americans, according to officials.