The US Central Command announced today, Thursday, that one of its destroyers responded to a distress call from a tanker flying the Marshall Islands flag in the Red Sea on Wednesday. The distress call reported an attack by the Houthi forces, but the attack was unsuccessful, and the American ship downed a drone targeting it.
In a statement released on its “X” platform account (formerly Twitter), the U.S. Central Command added that Houthi fighters attempted to board the tanker using small boats but were unsuccessful in their endeavor.
The statement further reported that after failing to take control of the vessel, the Houthis launched two missiles from their controlled areas in Yemen at the tanker. However, they failed to hit the target.
The destroyer USS Mason successfully downed a drone launched from Houthi-controlled areas towards it while responding to the distress call. This action was taken in self-defense. There were no casualties reported, and no ships sustained any damage, according to the U.S. Central Command.
Recent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have escalated tensions and raised concerns about the safety of commercial maritime activities in the region. A notable incident involved the U.S. warship USS Carney responding to an hours-long assault claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This attack targeted commercial ships with drones and missiles, marking a significant escalation in maritime hostilities linked to the broader Israel-Hamas conflict. The USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, successfully shot down multiple rockets fired by the Houthis towards Israel earlier in the conflict. During this specific incident, it responded to a distress call from the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Unity Explorer, which was under missile attack. The USS Carney managed to shoot down two drones during this operation, and there were no reported injuries or damage to the ship.
dditionally, the Houthi militia’s attacks in the Red Sea pose a significant threat to global maritime trade. These recent actions by the Iran-backed Houthi group have included targeting multiple ships in the Red Sea, indicating an escalation in their military activities and a potential shift towards wider regional conflict. The Houthis have a history of attacking both commercial and military vessels, including previous incidents where they fired missiles towards U.S. Navy ships. This pattern of aggression has intensified since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in October, with the Houthis openly claiming responsibility for several attacks. These activities highlight the militia’s growing confidence and their efforts to extend their influence beyond domestic borders to a more regional presence
