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US threatens response after Houthi missiles hit cargo ships in Red Sea

Iran-backed factions across the Middle East opened a new volley of attacks targeting Israeli-linked cargo vessels in the Red Sea and US troops in Iraq and Syria since Israel's truce with Hamas collapsed on Friday.

INTERNATIONAL WATERS RED SEA, YEMEN - NOVEMBER 20: This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen. On Monday, the Houthi movement in Yemen released footage and photos of the Houthi-run coastguard taking over the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader Vessel in the Red Sea, which had 52 people onboard. Galaxy Leader is owned by Galaxy Maritime Ltd in the Isle of Man and is li
This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, in the Red Sea, Yemen, Nov. 20, 2023. — Houthi Movement via Getty Images

WASHINGTON — Yemen's Houthi rebels lobbed ballistic missiles and drones at three commercial cargo vessels in the southern Red Sea on Sunday, leading a US Navy warship to intervene.

Three cargo vessels reported being hit by missiles fired from Yemen in four separate attacks that spanned more than a seven-hour period on Sunday. No personnel were reported hurt.

The USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, intercepted three drones and tracked the flight of at least one of the missiles fired by the Houthis, US defense officials told Al-Monitor.

The maritime attacks marked a significant escalation and a new test for the US Navy as the Pentagon has struggled to deter Iran-backed factions from taking advantage of Israel's war in Gaza.

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