The ships, one with a Panamanian flag, were attacked in the Red Sea

An American warship and several merchant ships were attacked this Sunday in the Red Seain the Middle East, according to the Pentagon.

“We are aware of reports of attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as soon as it becomes available,” the Pentagon said in a brief statement, according to US media.

According to ABC News, a Pentagon official noted that the destroyer Carney “shot down several drones heading in his direction from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen“.

The attack on the destroyer Carney marks a significant escalation in a series of attacks maritime events in the Middle East related to the war in Gaza between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas.

Hard attacks

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for rocket and drone attacks on the cargo ships Unity Explorer and Number 9 as they transited the Red Sea, the scene of rising tensions over the war in the Gaza Strip.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sare said in a televised speech that the rebels “they carried out an operation against two Israeli ships” in the Strait of Bab el Mandab, and identified the ships as “Unity Explorer”, flying the flag of the Bahamas, and “Number 9”, flying the flag of Panama.

“The first ship was attacked by a naval missile and the second by a naval drone,” a military spokesman said, adding that the operation took place “after the two ships rejected Houthi warning messages.

He also indicated that the rebels “continue to prevent Israeli ships from sailing in the Red and Arabian seas until the end of Israeli aggression” on the Gaza Strip, and indicated that these attacks were carried out “to defend” the Palestinians and in support of the Islamist group Hamas. whose allies they are.

“We reiterate the warning to all Israeli ships or those linked to Israel that they will become a legitimate target if they violate what is established by this announcement and previous announcements,” Sarea said, referring to Houthi threats to the vessels. by the Jewish state.

A spokesman offered no details on that damage suffered by the boats.

The Unity Explorer, operated by the British company Unity Explorer Ltd, left the Suez Canal for Singapore, taking the reverse route of the Number 9, owned by Singapore’s Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd.

The Houthi announcement comes shortly after the UK Navy’s Commercial Maritime Operations (UKMTO) reported a drone strike near Bab el Mandeb, off the coast of Yemen, and will urge ships sailing in the area to “take precautions”.

Previously, UKMTO He said he had received reports of drone activity and a “possible explosion”. which “originated from the direction of Yemen,” and it also noted that “an entity posing as Yemeni authorities” had ordered the ship to change course.

With the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have threatened to “not sit idly by” and have since launched a series of rocket and drone attacks against Israel that have been intercepted by the country’s air defenses, Jewish or United States warships.

But given the ineffectiveness of their attacks, the rebels have threatened to attack ships flying the Israeli flag or owned by Israeli companies transiting the Red Sea, one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes.

In mid-November, rebels captured the cargo ship “Galaxy Leader”, which is owned by a British company but operated by the Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen (NYK Line), although it is said to be partially owned by an Israeli businessman.