Yemen Tensions Rise as US Deflects Houthi Missile Targeting Warship

A United States fighter aircraft shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired from Yemen’s Houthi-controlled areas towards a US destroyer operating in the Southern Red Sea, the US military said on Sunday. The midair interception is the latest incident in the Red Sea where the Houthis – pro-Iranian Shiite militias that seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in 2014 and have since allied with Iran – have been attacking international shipping in what they say is a campaign to support Palestinians under siege from Israeli forces in Gaza. The Houthis have been targeting ships with cruise missiles and drones, with some inflicting significant damage or even taking them hostage. US, French, and British warships patrolling the region regularly shoot down Houthi missiles before they reach their ship targets.

In a televised statement, a Houthi rebel spokesman said the latest attack targeted an “American vessel that was transferring weapons to the Zionist entity.” The statement did not specify which American ship was attacked or whether any US personnel were aboard. The Houthis vowed to continue blocking “Israeli and Israeli ships from entering the ports of occupied Palestine until this aggression ends.”

The US Central Command (Centcom) did not immediately respond to a request for more details on the midair interception. Centcom said the destroyer involved in the interception was the Arleigh Burke-class USS Carney. It operated in the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational effort to safeguard ships in one of the world’s busiest waterways. The Royal Navy’s HMS Diamond also took part in the operation, with two US destroyers and F-18 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower escorting her.

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CENTCOM says the destroyer was in the vicinity of Hudayda, a key port city in western Yemen that the Houthis control. The statement does not say which destroyer was fired upon, though a private intelligence firm identified it as the Liberian-flagged MV Al Jasrah, owned by Hapag-Lloyd of Germany. The company said the projectile caused physical damage to the ship’s hull, and one container fell overboard.

The strike drew the United States deeper into a conflict that began in 2015 after the Houthis seized Sanaa and was escalated by the Saudi-led coalition’s campaign to restore Yemen’s exiled government. Some US allies in the Gulf have worried that strikes against the Houthis could spiral out of control and draw the United States into a regional conflict with Iran-backed Shiite militants.

President Obama weighed in on the matter on Thursday, saying he would direct further action if necessary to protect Americans and global shipping. The president’s national security adviser, HR McMaster, echoed that message on Friday. He said the US was “committed to maintaining freedom of navigation and trade through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait.” The White House has yet to clarify what further action might be taken. However, Vice President Joe Biden indicated that the US would not hesitate to use force to protect its citizens and ensure the free flow of shipping in the Red Sea.