An American warship and multiple commercial ships came under attack Sunday in the Red Sea, as confirmed by the Pentagon. Yemen’s Houthi rebels later claimed attacks on two ships they described as being linked to Israel but did not acknowledge targeting the U.S. Navy vessel. The Pentagon assured The Associated Press that, “We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available.” The Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.
The British military noted a suspected drone attack and explosions in the Red Sea without providing additional details. The Pentagon did not identify where it believed the fire came from. However, Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attacks, indicating that one vessel was hit by a missile and the second by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Saree did not mention any U.S. warship being involved in the attack, stating that the attacks would continue as long as Israel continues its war with the Hamas terrorist group in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis have a history of launching attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and have escalated their activities, including launching drones and missiles targeting Israel amid the ongoing conflict. Global shipping has been increasingly targeted as the Israel–Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict. The Red Sea has been a recent site of particular focus for maritime attacks, such as when Houthi rebels seized a vehicle transport ship linked to Israel earlier in November. Additionally, the rebels continue to hold a vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Last week, missiles landed near another U.S. warship after it had assisted a vessel linked to Israel that had been briefly seized by gunmen. The growing maritime conflict has raised the stakes, as the Houthis had not directly targeted the Americans for some time. In 2016, the U.S. launched Tomahawk cruise missiles that destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory to retaliate for missiles being fired at U.S. Navy ships at the time.