Pentagon Confirms Yemen’s Houthis Attack U.S. Warships in Red Sea Using Drones and Missiles

In a tense maritime episode underscoring the Red Sea’s escalating dangers, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a sophisticated assault on two U.S. Navy destroyers transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. As the Pentagon detailed, at least eight attack drones, five ballistic missiles, and three anti-ship cruise missiles were fired in the coordinated offensive. The warships managed to thwart the strikes using advanced defense systems, emerging unscathed and with no injuries among their crews.

The Houthis have ramped up maritime hostilities in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 2023, citing their solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s aggressive military campaign in Gaza. These assaults on international shipping lanes, vital for global trade, echo broader tensions that have enveloped the region, as Iranian-backed factions from Lebanon to Syria intensify attacks fueled by regional grievances.

This latest confrontation brought to light Washington’s ongoing military efforts to secure these strategic waters. U.S. Central Command has bolstered presence by deploying air and naval assets, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Yet, the Houthis' false claim of targeting the carrier was dispelled by Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder.

Even as the U.S. Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea’s critical waterways, the Pentagon has launched retaliatory airstrikes against Houthi weapons storage, attempting to curb future threats. These countermeasures illustrate the persistent volatility, as attacks spread across Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon, driven by anti-Israel sentiments and deepened by proxy struggles.

The U.S. remains vigilant in defending regional stability while facing a geopolitical powder keg ignited by cross-border animosities, demonstrating the complexity and scale of emerging security threats across the Middle East.