The U.S. navy’s destroyer the USS Mason intercepted an inbound Houthi anti-ship missile over the Red Sea, U.S. Central Command said in a statement, after Yemen’s Houthis said on May 15 that they had targeted the warship.
According to Reuters, the U.S. forces also destroyed two drones, Central Command said. Furthermore, on May 15 the Houthis said they had also targeted a vessel called “Destiny” in the Red Sea, as part of a campaign of attacks the Iran-backed group says it is carrying out in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
May 15 CENTCOM Update
At approximately 9 p.m. (Sanaa time) on May 14, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed four uncrewed aerial system (UAS) in an Iranian-backed Houthi controlled area of Yemen.
It was determined these systems presented an imminent… pic.twitter.com/oJfjv8h4ng
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) May 16, 2024
A U.S. official told Reuters there was no evidence of an attack on Destiny in recent days. “Our reporting indicates that the vessel and crew are safe, with no issues”. As informed, Reuters could not independently verify the Houthis’ claim of having attacked the two vessels.
In a televised speech, the Houthis’ military spokesman Yahya Sarea had said they had targeted the USS Mason in the Red Sea with a number of “appropriate naval missiles”. Sarea said they had also targeted Destiny because it had been en route for the Israeli port of Eilat on April 20.
