A US navy warship in the northern Red Sea on Thursday shot down three cruise missiles and several drones launched from Yemen that the Pentagon said might have been headed towards Israel.
“We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel,” Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters.
The missiles and drones were launched by pro-Iranian Houthi rebels in Yemen amid a flurry of drone attacks against US troops in Iraq and Syria over the past three days, Ryder said. The incidents underscored the risks that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas could spiral into a wider war.
Iran-backed militias have in the past conducted drone and rocket attacks against the 2,500 US troops based in Iraq and the 900 troops in Syria.
Since Hamas’ attacks against Israel on October 7, the US has rushed two aircraft carriers and additional troops to the eastern Mediterranean near Israel to deter Iran and its proxies.
New York Times News Service
