US Destroyer Destroys Houthi Anti-Ship Missile Over the Red Sea

On Thursday, May 17, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that the USS Mason destroyer had destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile over the Red Sea three days prior. CENTCOM also stated that US forces had downed two drones. This announcement followed Houthi claims of targeting a warship on Monday of this week. On Wednesday, May 16, the Houthis also claimed to have targeted a ship named 'Destiny' in the Red Sea. An American official told Reuters that there was no evidence of an attack on the 'Destiny' in recent days, stating, 'Our reports indicate that the ship and crew are safe and there are no issues.' A military spokesperson for the Houthis claimed in a televised speech that they targeted the USS Mason in the Red Sea with several 'appropriate naval missiles.' He also stated that they targeted the 'Destiny' because it was heading towards the Israeli port of Eilat on May 1. The spokesperson did not specify the date of the attacks on the two ships. Reuters could not independently verify the Houthi claims regarding the attack on this ship and the American destroyer. The Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations, speaking at the Security Council on Monday, described the transfer of weapons from the Islamic Republic to the Houthi rebels in Yemen as 'unprecedented' and called for an end to this action by the Iranian government. Robert Wood stated that if this body wants to end the civil war in Yemen, it must warn the Islamic Republic that it can no longer 'hide behind the Houthis' and must immediately cease its destabilizing actions. He added, 'There is extensive evidence that the Islamic Republic is providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis in violation of UN sanctions. For this reason, the UN Security Council must stop the ongoing violations of the arms embargo and take further actions against violators of the sanctions.' The Houthi rebels, supported by the Islamic Republic, have controlled parts of Yemen's territory and began attacking international commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden a few weeks after the start of the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. They claim that the purpose of these attacks is to pressure Israel to end the war with Hamas in Gaza. The US Maritime Administration announced in April that the Houthis had attacked various ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden more than 50 times since last November, but their attacks have significantly decreased in recent months due to serious confrontations with US and British forces. The Houthis have issued a new threat: to target Israeli ships in the Mediterranean. They also claimed to have attacked three ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. An attempt by 'pirates' to hijack a ship in eastern Aden failed. The seizure of a commercial ship by the Iranian government has been deemed 'intolerable' by the global shipping industry. A container ship was targeted in a missile attack in the Red Sea.