U.S. Navy Thwarts Houthi Missile and Drone Assault in Red Sea

Monday, while going through the strait between Yemen and Djibouti, the USS Stockdale and the USS Spruance were hit by a lot of rocket and drone fire. The Pentagon said that Houthi fighters fired at least eight unmanned aerial systems, five anti-ship ballistic missiles, and three anti-ship cruise missiles. The destroyers were able to intercept and destroy all of them.

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The attack is the most recent in a string of attacks in the area by Houthi forces backed by Iran. The attacks have been aimed at commercial and U.S. military ships to block essential trade routes. As a reaction, the U.S. attacked several Houthi weapons storage sites with precision airstrikes that hit military and civilian targets in international waters with advanced weapons.

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Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the press secretary for the Pentagon, said that the U.S. Navy's response included sending out F-35C Lightning II planes. Houthi claims said the USS Abraham Lincoln was also attacked, but U.S. sources said the carrier was not involved in the incident.

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This encounter comes after increased threats that started in late 2023. In earlier events, U.S. destroyers stopped Iranian missiles that were aimed at Israel. The attacks show how unstable the area is still and how important it is for the U.S. naval troops to protect international waters and trade routes.

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