Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a coordinated drone and cruise missile attack on U.S. warships in the Middle East, the Pentagon confirmed on Friday. Earlier that day, the Houthis claimed they had targeted three U.S. Navy destroyers en route to Israel in the Red Sea.
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh confirmed the attack but emphasized that none of the U.S. ships sustained any damage.
“We witnessed a complex attack by the Houthis, involving both cruise missiles and UAVs,” Singh stated during a press briefing. “All threats were either intercepted or failed, with no impact on any U.S. vessel.” According to Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, the group launched 23 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as drones, at three U.S. destroyers. The Houthi spokesperson claimed that all three ships were hit, and that the assault also involved simultaneous missile and drone strikes on targets in Israel.
The spokesperson declared the attacks would continue until Israel ceases its actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
Since October of last year, the Houthis have targeted ships they associate with Israel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, showing solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing Israeli operation in Gaza. These assaults have led the U.S. and its allies to establish an international naval coalition and deploy warships in the region. Despite these efforts, the Houthis have persisted in their attacks. Western and Israeli airstrikes in Yemen this year appear to have done little to deter the group.
Following increased tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, the Houthis have added a new demand: an end to Israeli aggression against Lebanon.
While Hezbollah and Israel have regularly exchanged fire since the Gaza conflict began, hostilities escalated in early September when a series of explosive devices across Lebanon killed dozens and injured thousands. Israel responded with a “new phase” of airstrikes, claiming to target Hezbollah positions.
According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, over 1,300 people had been killed in Israeli bombings by Friday.