A US destroyer shot down 24 drones and missiles fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, the US Central Command said, in the largest attack on a merchant ship in the Red Sea since tensions escalated in October. (CENTCOM) confirmed on Tuesday.
The Pentagon operates an array of naval assets in the region as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a U.S.-led coalition protecting vital waterways from repeated threats from the Houthis. Three guided missile destroyers, USS On Tuesday, aircraft carriers Dwight D. Eisenhower's Mason, aircraft carrier Gravely, aircraft carrier Laboon, and F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets fired and engaged a combination of drones and missiles. Centcom Said In a statement.
Initial assessments indicate no damage or injury to any of the U.S. warships that took part in the firefight or to the dozens of nearby commercial vessels, Centcom said. (Related: Republican lawmakers launch formal investigation into Austin's decision to keep hospitalization secret)
The United States intercepted 18 Iranian-made unidirectional attack drones. The statement added that at around 9:15 p.m. local time, two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile were jointly launched.
CENTCOM reiterated its January 3 statement. caveat Outcry from US and partners as Houthis launch further attacks. “If the Houthis continue to threaten human life, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region's vital waterways, they will be held accountable for the consequences,” the statement said.
.@CENTCOM obviously annoyed #IRGC terrorist-Backed #Houthis There was a lack of international response, as they just retweeted the joint statement from January 3 today, amid news of new attacks by the Houthis. pic.twitter.com/lwfZImacLY
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) January 9, 2024
Weekend, Laboon shoot down CENTCOM said one drone loaded with explosives was used for “self-defense.” This is the first time the military has characterized the engagement as being carried out in self-defense, although it said an earlier one-way attack drone had arrived before the warship was neutralized.
Prior to Tuesday, the largest single onslaught occurred on December 16th. shoot down Waves of 14 drones descended on the destroyer, with no sign of merchant ships nearby.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said in a briefing Wednesday that U.S. military assets currently in the Red Sea include the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, which is carrying 130 aircraft and about 4,000 sailors and Marines. It said it included ships assigned to the strike group.
“As the president has made clear, the United States does not seek conflict with any country or entity in the Middle East. We also do not want the war between Israel and Hamas to escalate in the region,” Kirby said. . “But we will not shrink from our mission to protect ourselves, our interests, our partners, or the free flow of international commerce.”
Members of Congress have expressed concern in recent days about the unannounced hospitalization of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, saying top national security leaders and the president were unaware that he had been hospitalized for at least three days. Ta. Austin's lieutenants carried out some routine operational tasks, but lawmakers on both sides of the aisle feared an apparent breakdown in the chain of command would hamper the U.S.'s ability to respond to global tensions. did.
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