Three commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea on Sunday, and a US warship shot down several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) heading towards them.
This development could mean a serious escalation of a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East related to the Israel-Hamas war.
“Today, there were four attacks on three separate commercial ships operating in international waters in the southern Red Sea,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement. “These three ships of hers are connected to 14 separate countries.”
The aircraft carrier Kearney was in the southern Red Sea, just north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, when it shot down three Houthi drones heading in its direction, U.S. officials told Fox News, saying the action was self-defense. It added that it was done for. Officials claimed the drone was launched from Houthi-held territory in Yemen.
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Guided missile destroyer USS Carney in Souda Bay, Greece. According to the Department of Defense, on Sunday, December 3, 2023, an American warship and several commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea. (Personnel 3rd Class Bill Dodge/U.S. Navy, via AP)
The USS Carney first detected a Houthi ballistic missile heading toward the British-owned and operated ship Unity Explorer. The USS Kearney shot down the Houthi’s first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as it headed toward the United Explorer, but no personnel were harmed or injured.
The USS Kearney is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that in recent weeks has shot down drones and cruise missiles fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack.
After the initial incident on Sunday, the Unity Explorer was struck by another UAV later that afternoon, sustaining minor damage. The USS Carney destroys another UAV heading toward the ship.
That afternoon, two other ships named Number 9 and Sophie II came under missile attack. The USS Carney was able to shoot down the unmanned aircraft that was heading towards Sophie II.
This file image shows the USS Kearney in the Mediterranean Sea in 2018. (Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Ryan U. Krezik/U.S. Navy, Associated Press)
“These attacks are a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They are putting the lives of international seafarers representing multiple countries around the world at risk,” Centcom said. “Also, although these attacks were initiated by Yemen’s Houthis, there is good reason to believe that they were carried out entirely by Iran.”
“The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with our international allies and partners,” the press release concluded.
Earlier on Sunday, a White House official told Fox News that no American destroyer had been specifically attacked in the Red Sea, and that the USS Carney had responded to a distress call.
Officials said there were no injuries among the crew of the merchant ship representing multiple countries, meaning the crew were from one country and the ship was owned by and flagged by another country. It means that.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Galaxy Leader ship off the coast of As-Salih, Yemen, in the Red Sea on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Support tender vessels are located nearby. The ship was captured by Houthi fighters on November 19. (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies via AP)
The British military earlier said there was a suspected drone attack and explosion in the Red Sea, but gave no details.
Houthi military spokesperson Brig. General Yahya Salih claimed the attack, saying the first ship was attacked by a missile and the second by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. He explained that the ship allegedly ignored warnings from Houthi officials before the attack.
According to the Associated Press, Saleh did not mention that a U.S. warship was involved in the attack.
“Yemeni forces continue to block Israeli ships from transiting the Red Sea (and Gulf of Aden) until Israel’s aggression against our loyal compatriots in the Gaza Strip stops,” Salih said. “The Yemeni Armed Forces once again warns all Israeli vessels or Israeli personnel that they will become legitimate targets if they violate the provisions set out in this statement.”
U.S. Navy Chief Fire Control Officer (Aegis) Kenneth Krull, assigned to the USS Kearney (DDG 64), commands the Combat Systems Coordination Console during integrated quarter training in the Eastern Mediterranean on October 14, 2023. are doing. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau/U.S. Navy, Associated Press)
Ahead of reports of attacks on U.S. warships in the Red Sea, Obama’s former CIA director and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta spoke Saturday night at the Reagan Defense Forum about how the United States should respond to the increasing number of attacks by Iranian proxies against Iran. Told. US military in the Middle East.
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“I would be more aggressive,” Panetta said. “We want our military to go after those who are firing missiles and make them understand that if you fire missiles, they will die.”
U.S. forces in the Middle East have been attacked at least 75 times since mid-last month. The Pentagon does not include attacks on U.S. warships at sea in this figure.
This satellite image shows the Galaxy Leader ship anchored off the coast of As-Salih, Yemen, on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. Support tender vessels are located nearby. The ship was captured by Houthi fighters on November 19. (Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Technologies via AP)
Shipping around the world has become increasingly targeted as the war between Israel and Hamas threatens to escalate into a broader regional conflict.
In early November, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship also linked to Israel in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen. Rebels are still holding ships near the port city of Hodeidah. Last week, missiles also landed near another U.S. warship after it aided an Israeli-linked vessel that was briefly seized by armed groups.
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However, the Houthis have not directly targeted Americans for some time, further increasing the risk of escalation of the maritime conflict. In 2016, the United States fired Tomahawk cruise missiles and destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-held territory in retaliation for missiles fired at U.S. Navy ships, including the USS Mason at the time.
FOX News’ Sarah Tobiansky and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
