(ConservativeSense.com) – The US Navy has shot down a Yemeni drone in the Red Sea. It is only the second time the American military has destroyed a projectile near its warships since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. Tensions in the Middle East have increased dramatically as Iran-backed militants engage in skirmishes with the United States and Israel.
US officials said the drone, launched from Yemen, was shot down by troops on the American destroyer Thomas Hudner, but they would not say if the drone was armed or how close it got to the US vessel.
In October, America intercepted a separate Yemeni attack on the Jewish state. The group responsible is the well-armed Houthi movement, which, like Hamas and Hezbollah, is funded by Iran. The October attack took place over nine hours, during which US forces took out four cruise missiles and 15 drones.
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the projectiles posed a risk to civilian air travel and warned that the Middle East conflict is escalating, mainly at the behest of Iran.
The Houthis are a militant Islamist group that originated in northern Yemen in the 1990s. Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began, the organization has consistently pledged to attack the Jewish state and help Hamas achieve victory. It blames Israel for Middle East instability, and its slogan is “Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse to the Jews, and Victory to Islam.”
On November 19, Israeli officials announced that the Houthis had seized a British-owned and Japanese-operated cargo ship in the Red Sea and described the incident as an Iranian act of terrorism. The Houthis acknowledged they hijacked the vessel but said it was Israeli-owned. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, “We strongly condemn such acts,” and added that his country will investigate the incident and seek to ensure the safety of all on board.
The cargo ship Galaxy Leader is UK-registered and launched with a crew of 25 people.
Copyright 2023, ConservativeSense.com
