JERUSALEM: In the midst of Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthi rebels in Yemen launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea. However, a US fighter jet shot it down, causing a rift in international shipping, according to officials.
The attack on Sunday is the first that the United States has recognized the Houthis have fired since the United States and its allies started attacking the rebels on Friday in response to weeks of attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Due to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Houthis have launched operations that could escalate the fighting into a regional battle, focusing on the vital route that connects energy and freight supplies from Asia and the Middle East to the Suez Canal and ultimately to Europe.
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Although President Joe Biden has stated that he “will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” it was not immediately obvious whether the United States will retaliate for the most recent strike.
The US military’s Central Command said in a statement that the Houthi fire on Sunday was directed towards the USS Laboon, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer that is stationed in the southern Red Sea.
