US military shoots down Iranian drones, Houthi missiles, over Gulf of Aden

The USS Carney shot down three Iranian drones and one antiship ballistic missile Wednesday launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.

The Houthi missile was headed toward the Gulf of Aden at about 8:30 p.m. local time. Forty minutes later, the USS Carney shot down three Iranian unmanned aerial vehicles nearby.

The U.S. Central Command said there were no injuries or damage reported.

The attack comes amid an uptick in tensions in the region. Houthis have been targeting commercial ships and vessels in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. forces to respond with a series of precision strikes.

The Houthis say the attacks, which began in November, are intended to protest the Israel-Hamas war in the region, but many of the recent ships attacked have no direct ties to Israel. As a result, shipping companies have been forced to find alternative shipping routes, driving up oil prices and delaying the delivery of goods, raising concerns about the effect on the global economy.  

U.S. officials said earlier this week that U.S. troops have come under fire from Iranian-backed groups more than 160 times since late October.

The attack also comes just a few days after three U.S. service members were killed and about 40 others injured in a deadly drone strike in Jordan on Sunday.

Biden has pledged to respond to the attack in a “time and manner of our choosing” but has also made clear he does not seek a larger war.