The USS Carney patrolling the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command
The Bath Iron Works-built USS Carney on Saturday shot down a swarm of drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, according to U.S. military officials.
The destroyer shot down 14 “one-way attack drones” in the Red Sea, according to U.S. Central Command. It was unclear what the drones were targeting, but Iranian-backed Houthi forces in recent weeks have launched a series of drone and missile attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. They have also targeted Israel, according to U.S. military officials. Houthi officials said the attacks are retaliation for Israel’s military campaign against Hamas after the terrorist group attacked Israel on Oct. 7.
In late October, the Carney shot down a barrage of missiles and drones that U.S. military officials said were likely launched by Houthis toward targets in Israel about 1,000 miles away. In recent weeks, the USS Mason and USS Thomas Hudner, both also built in Bath, have shot down drones. The vessels have also responded to several attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
“These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. “They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran. The United States will consider all appropriate responses in full coordination with its international allies and partners.”
Other Iran proxy groups have launched attacks on U.S. military facilities in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for U.S. support for Israel since the country’s war against Hamas began. The U.S. responded by attacking targets in Iraq and Syria, though it has avoided attacking the Houthis in Yemen. The Sunni group has a de facto truce with the country’s Shiite majority; some fear attacks by the U.S. could upend the truce and spark a wider conflict.
“In light of heightened tension stemming from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, we have undertaken additional measures to communicate directly with Iran, Iran-aligned groups in Iraq, Lebanon and our regional partners,” a senior U.S. defense official said in a recent statement. “We aim to clarify that our military actions do not signal a change in our approach to the Israel-Hamas conflict, and we have no intentions of escalating conflict in the region. Our commitment to self-defense and the protection of U.S. personnel remains the same.”
The USS Carney, commissioned in 1996, is named after Adm. Robert Carney.
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