U.S. destroyer intercepts drone, missile attacks launched by Houthi rebels toward Israel

12/29/2023 / By Richard Brown

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels have initiated a series of drone and missile attacks toward Israel. The offensive, however, was intercepted by a U.S. Navy destroyer and F/A-18 Super Hornets.

“U.S. assets, including the USS Laboon (DDG 58) and F/A-18 Super Hornets from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, successfully intercepted 12 one-way attack drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two land attack cruise missiles in the Southern Red Sea. The attack was carried out by the Houthis over 10 hours starting at approximately 6:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on December 26,” the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

Fortunately, there was no damage to ships in the area, and no injuries were reported. The attack occurred a day after President Joe Biden authorized retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, prompted by strikes on a U.S. airbase in Erbil that left three U.S. troops injured.

This latest attack from Yemen follows a pattern of similar incidents. (Related: U.S. warship in the Red Sea shoots down attack drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.)

Just days earlier, the USS Laboon intercepted four unmanned aerial vehicles in the Red Sea. Subsequently, the destroyer responded to distress calls from two commercial vessels. The M/V Blaamanen, a Norwegian-flagged chemical tanker, reported a near miss from a Houthi one-way attack drone. Meanwhile, the M/V Saibaba, a Gabon-owned crude oil tanker, was hit by a one-way attack drone, resulting in no reported injuries.

On Dec. 16, the Navy destroyer Carney thwarted 14 attack drones in the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command has emphasized that there is strong reason to believe these attacks, orchestrated by the Houthis in Yemen, are enabled by Iran.

In response to escalating threats in the region, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on Dec. 18 the establishment of a multinational task force to safeguard civilian ships.

Houthi rebels also hit civilian ships

Earlier this month, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile, narrowly missing a container ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically vital maritime passage, as reported by the U.S. military.

This act is part of the ongoing seaborne attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis amid the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis have expanded their threats to target vessels believed to be connected with Israel, regardless of their actual association. Fortunately, the missile fired landed harmlessly in the water near the Maersk Gibraltar, a Hong Kong-flagged container ship traveling from Salalah, Oman, to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. military’s Central Command confirmed the incident and expressed ongoing concern over these attacks, emphasizing the continued threat to international maritime security.

Later, a Houthi military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, claimed, without providing evidence, that the rebels had hit the Maersk Gibraltar with a drone strike after the crew failed to respond to their call to surrender.

The spokesman further alleged that the vessel was heading to Israel, a claim unsupported by evidence.

Maersk, one of the world’s largest shipping companies, issued a statement confirming the attack, assuring the safety of the crew and vessel.

The company called attention to the alarming trend of recent attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, emphasizing the risk to seafarers’ lives and global trade. Maersk urged political action for a swift de-escalation, highlighting that the global shipping industry alone cannot address the situation.

In a separate incident, two missiles fired from Houthi-held territory narrowly missed a commercial tanker loaded with Indian-manufactured jet fuel near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Additionally, near the strait, a missile fired by the Houthis struck a Norwegian-flagged tanker in the Red Sea. These events contribute to growing concerns about the safety and security of maritime traffic in the region.

Watch Houthi rebels declare the failure of the U.S. Navy and the decline of the U.S. Empire.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.