US army thwarts Houthi attack on Israel
A US destroyer in the Red Sea intercepted three ground-to-ground missiles and several drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen, which were suspected to be aimed at targets in Israel, following the earlier interception of drones that targeted US bases in Iraq and Syria.
A US destroyer in the Red Sea intercepted three ground-to-ground missiles and several drones launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday, with the possibility that they were directed towards targets in Israel. The Pentagon made this announcement after a period of repelling drone attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria amid concerns about ongoing Israeli escalations in Gaza.
It is believed that Iran seeks to expand the conflict in the region through its proxies in Yemen, Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq after Iranian officials, led by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, threatened to respond to Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip.
In response, the Houthi rebels issued warnings that they would target Israel if Gaza continued to be bombed, if there was an Israeli ground intervention, or if US support for the Israeli military persisted.
General Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesperson, stated that three “land-attack cruise missiles and several drones” were intercepted by the destroyer. He added that the attack was launched from Yemen and “it is possible that it was directed towards targets in Israel.”
The US destroyer, USS Carney, had been patrolling the Red Sea as part of the US military presence to maintain stability amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Ryder emphasized that there were no casualties, stating, “We can’t confirm what these missiles were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen and heading north along the Red Sea.”
“Our defensive response is the response we would take against any similar threat in the region. We have the ability to defend our broader interests in the region and deter regional escalation and the expansion of the conflict that began with Hamas‘ attacks on Israeli civilians,” added Ryder.
Ryder also mentioned that on October 18, two drones carried out an attack on a US military base in Syria, with one being destroyed in the air and the other causing minor damage to the base.
“In the early hours of the same day, early warning systems at the US base in Ain al-Assad, Iraq, indicated a potential threat, and soldiers entered shelters as a precaution. No attack occurred. A civilian employee suffered a heart attack and died,” Ryder stated.
Currently, there is no clear information about who is behind these attacks, and whether there is any connection to the Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon ordered the deployment of 2,000 troops to be on standby for potential deployment.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that the deployment of forces would allow the United States to “respond more quickly” to the crisis. The White House emphasized that it does not intend to send US combat troops to the region.
Reports have indicated that the US informed Israel that American forces would fight alongside Israel in response to any Hezbollah attack, to which President Biden responded as “not true.” However, he added that “our forces are in communication with their forces about alternatives” in the event of a Hezbollah attack.
