Yemeni Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed warned on Sunday that “Israeli ships in the Red Sea will be targeted” if IDF strikes on the Gaza Strip continue.
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“Sanaa will contribute and assist in responding to the massacre in Gaza. The Americans intercepted missiles and drones that were aimed at Israel and managed to down some of them, but some reached their destination."
A U.S. Navy warship on Thursday intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen potentially toward Israel, the Pentagon said.
I24NEWS reported that Israel was informed that 15 drones were identified to have been launched from Yemen, with some of the interceptions conducted by electronic warfare, and that at least one interception was carried out by Saudi Arabia.
Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Hamas war. The interceptions come in the shadow of the war in Gaza, and the fear that Iran will use the war to stir a regional escalation and fighting on several fronts.
The Red Sea is a pivotal maritime corridor linking the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean via the Suez Canal, streamlining the Europe-to-Asia sea route and bypassing the longer Cape of Good Hope path. It plays a crucial role in global trade, especially the transport of oil and liquefied natural gas from the Middle East to international markets. Additionally, its strategic location and high trade volume make it a key geopolitical and military interest point for many nations.
Last week, the leader of the Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, warned the U.S. against intervening in the war between Israel and Hamas - and threatened that his forces would respond by firing missiles and drones. According to Tehran, the Houthis in Yemen have missiles with a range of about 2,000 kilometers.
The Pentagon said the destroyer USS Carney was operating in the northern Red Sea on Thursday when she brought down the projectiles and there were no injuries. "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," Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters.
A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said it did not appear that the warship was the target.
The U.S. has sent a significant amount of naval power to the Middle East in the past week, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.
While the White House says there are "no plans or intentions" for their use, it means U.S. military assets would be in place to protect U.S. national security interests if needed. The U.S. also has an array of bases in the Middle East with troops, fighter aircraft and warships.
The U.S. Navy warship arrived in the Red Sea Wednesday through the Suez Canal. The U.S. military said that the USS Carney "will help maintain maritime security and stability in the Middle East."
USS Carney is one of four warships that arrived in the area along with the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which approached the shores of Israel. Another aircraft carrier, the USS Eisenhower, is also making its way to the area.
Itamar Eichner, Ilan Levinsohn, Reuters and i24NEWS contributed to this report.