US Warship Intercepts Iran-Backed Houthi Missiles, Drones in Red Sea: Pentagon

The US Navy warship USS Carney intercepted numerous missiles and drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. These weapons may be headed to Israel, increasing regional security worries, according to the Pentagon.

Brigadier General Pat Ryder, the press secretary for the Pentagon, stated that the USS Carney intercepted three ground attack cruise missiles and several drones over the Red Sea. Gen. Ryder said this action illustrates the integrated air and missile defense infrastructure to safeguard US interests and allies.

No one was hurt during the incident. Initial US evaluations indicate that the USS Carney was not the drone attack's main target. General Ryder stated that US officials would decide the timing and strategy of any response to the incident, according to VOA.

Do Iranian-Backed Militias Want to Engage War with US?

The US calls its expanded presence in the Middle East region a deterrent against Hezbollah and Iran's attempts to escalate the conflict.

It is noteworthy that this Red Sea episode came after a slew of recent drone assaults on American outposts in Iraq, where coalition personnel suffered minor casualties. AP News reported that tensions have risen after a Gaza hospital explosion and threats by Iranian-backed militias in Iraq to attack US installations due to US backing for Israel.

An alliance of Iranian-backed militias known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed credit for the drone strikes and threatened further actions against the "American occupation."

Dakota Wood, a senior research scholar at The Heritage Foundation, theorized that Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah would not care about the US military's strategy and may want to involve the US in a conflict for their own benefit due to the high stakes.

The extended Middle East crisis has raised concerns about a larger regional battle, prompting greater U.S. military resources. US President Joe Biden sent two aircraft carriers and 2,000 Marines to the Middle East.

US Troops Targeted More Amid the Israel-Hamas War

After Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, US soldiers were targeted more. Drone attacks against US personnel have since caused injuries and deaths.

Early this week, US soldiers intercepted many drones intended for troops. Then, a drone targeted US Marines in Syria on Wednesday, inflicting only minor casualties, while another drone was destroyed. However, an unfortunate cardiac arrest happened to a civilian contractor during a false alert at the Ain al-Asad airfield in Iraq.

On Thursday, drones and missiles targeted the facility, which houses US and foreign personnel in western Iraq. There have reportedly been numerous explosions within the facility.

Separately, the Iraqi police acknowledged that missiles had attacked a military installation housing American personnel close to Baghdad's international airport; however, no specifics were given.

"While I'm not going to forecast any potential responses to these attacks, I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend US and coalition forces against any threat," Brigadier General Patrick Ryder told reporters, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

Ryder noted on Thursday that the Pentagon has now identified the forces that the prepare-to-deploy order has tasked. However, he refused to provide any details until "those units are actually tasked to deploy."