Pentagon: An American Warship and Several Commercial Ships Attacked in the Red Sea

According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon, an American warship and several commercial ships were attacked on Sunday, December 3, in the Red Sea. Houthi rebels in Yemen, supported by the Islamic Republic, claimed to have attacked two ships, which they described as linked to Israel, but did not confirm targeting a U.S. Navy ship. According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon stated, "We are aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide more information as it becomes available." The British military previously announced without details that an attack, believed to be drone-related, and several explosions had occurred in the Red Sea. The Pentagon is reportedly uncertain about the origin of the attacks on the American warship and commercial vessels. However, Houthi rebels, supported by the Islamic Republic, have conducted attacks on ships in the Red Sea amid the Israel-Hamas war and have also targeted Israel with drone and missile attacks. Hours after this news broke, U.S. Central Command in the Middle East, CENTCOM, confirmed Houthi drone attacks on three ships on Sunday, stating that the USS Carney shot down three of four attacking drones. An American official told Fox News that the USS Carney was stationed in the southern Red Sea, just north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where it shot down three drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, and only one drone struck the Unity Explorer ship, causing minor damage. Patrick Ryder, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, had previously told reporters on October 24 that while Washington does not have information indicating that the Iranian government "explicitly ordered" recent attacks on U.S. forces, the groups responsible for these attacks are supported by the Islamic Republic. He added, "Given that Iran supports them, we ultimately hold Iran accountable." Among the militia groups supported by the Islamic Republic are Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and militia groups in Iraq such as Kata'ib Hezbollah. This support is provided through the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Lloyd Austin, the U.S. Secretary of Defense, had announced on October 15 that a strike group carrying the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was deployed to the eastern Mediterranean. Austin stated that this deployment is part of the U.S. effort to prevent hostile actions against Israel or any attempts to escalate the war following Hamas's attack on Israel. He added that these actions are aimed at enhancing the protection of U.S. forces in the region and strengthening deterrence against the Islamic Republic and its proxy forces. The activities of the Islamic Republic's proxy groups against Israel were discussed in an interview with Siamak Dehghanpour with the spokesperson of the Israeli army. A resolution by U.S. senators regarding the necessity of confronting the Islamic Republic and its proxies was also mentioned. The Houthis in Yemen have claimed to have fired ballistic missiles at Israel again. The reason for bombing IRGC facilities in Syria was stated by the White House as a response to attacks against U.S. forces. Britain has begun reconnaissance flights to help locate hostages in Gaza.