Missiles fired toward US Navy warship during distress response in Middle East, officials say

Two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen in the direction of a U.S. Navy warship as it responded to a distress call from a commercial tanker in the Gulf of Aden, the Pentagon said late Sunday. 

The USS Mason, along with allied ships, responded to a distress call from the commercial vessel, the Central Park, which reported “that they were under attack by an unknown entity,” according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. 

Upon arrival at the scene, the Mason and other ships demanded the release of the Central Park, after which five armed individuals debarked the vessel and attempted to flee via a small boat.  

“The MASON pursued the attackers resulting in their eventual surrender,” the release states, noting that the crew of the Central Park is safe.

Additionally, two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen toward the general direction of the Mason and Central Park at 1:41 a.m. local time, but they landed in the Gulf of Aden approximately 10 nautical miles away from the ships, with no damage or injuries reported.

The MASON — part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group President Biden ordered to the region in October — was concluding its response to the Central Park at the time of the missile launches.

The incident is the latest in a long series of attacks on U.S. troops and assets in the Middle East since war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas began Oct. 7. 

Washington has claimed Iran and the militant groups it backs are behind the attacks, which Tehran has denied.

On Tuesday, Iran-backed militias carried out an attack using a close-range ballistic missile against U.S. and coalition forces at the al-Asad air base in Iraq, resulting in several nonserious injuries and some minor damage to infrastructure, defense officials said.

And Thursday, the USS Thomas Hudner, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, shot down multiple “one-way attack drones” in the Red Sea. The drones had been launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, Central Command said. 

Since Oct. 17, U.S. forces have been attacked at least 67 times in the region.