A U.S. Navy ship in the Red Sea on Thursday shot down missiles and drones that had been fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, possibly at Israel, the Pentagon said.
Three "land-attack cruise missiles and several drones" were intercepted by a destroyer, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters. The attack was "launched by Houthi forces in Yemen" potentially toward targets in Israel, he added.
The ship, USS Carney, was patrolling in the Red Sea as part of a heavily reinforced U.S. military presence ordered by President Joe Biden to maintain stability in the wake of war between Israel and the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip.