Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a missile at a U.S. destroyer in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, marking a new escalation in its attacks on regional shipping and military vessels.
The missile was aimed at the USS Carney, a destroyer patrolling in the Gulf of Aden. The destroyer shot the missile down before it struck. There were no injuries or damage, according to U.S. Central Command.
This is the first time Houthi rebels have directly targeted a U.S. warship since strikes began to escalate in October of 2023, a U.S. official said, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
That differs slightly from U.S. Central Command's characterization of the incident. It said a missile was fired "toward" the ship, but said it was difficult to determine the Houthis' target.
White House defends Houthi strikes amid questions from Congress
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have questioned the president's legal authority to conduct the strikes without authorization from Congress.
Also on Friday, a Houthi missile struck and started a fire aboard a British vessel. Officials said there were not any injuries.
Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a spokesman for the Houthi military, claimed credit for the attack on a commercial vessel but did not acknowledge the attack on the USS Carney.
On Wednesday, two U.S.-flagged vessels carrying cargo for U.S. government agencies came under fire from Houthi positions in Yemen. U.S. Central command said in a statement that a U.S. missile destroyer intercepted two anti-ship ballistic missiles, while a third fell into the sea.
