U.S. Navy Defends Three American Merchant Ships From Houthi Attack

Overnight Monday, the U.S. Navy blocked an attack on three U.S.-flagged ships off the coast of Yemen, continuing the service's run of success in thwarting Houthi aggression against American (not foreign-flag) vessels. 

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree claimed Tuesday that the terrorist group attacked three American "supply ships" after they departed Djibouti, and asserted that these civilian vessels "had previously practiced aggression against Yemen." The group also targeted two U.S. Navy destroyers, he added, "triumphing for the oppression of the Palestinian people." Saree claimed that the strike achieved its objectives, but did not claim any damage. 

U.S. Central Command confirmed the attack on Tuesday afternoon. The Mideast regional command said that U.S. Navy destroyers USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane successfully shot down "a range of Houthi-launched weapons" while transiting the Gulf of Aden on Monday and Tuesday. At the time, the two destroyers were escorting three American merchant ships, and none of the vessels were unharmed. 

The Houthi attack on American merchant ships was the second attempt in two weeks, following a failed missile strike on the product tanker Stena Impeccable, the boxship Maersk Saratoga and the bulker Liberty Grace on Nov. 30. USS Stockdale and O'Kane successfully defended against that attack as well, and escorted all three into Djibouti. CENTCOM did not identify the vessels targeted in Monday's attack, but open-source intelligence analysts suggest that it was the same group of three U.S.-flag ships. 

Centcom said Tuesday that this time, the munitions included multiple aerial drones and one anti-ship missile - a less severe threat than previous attacks, which have involved multiple anti-ship missiles. 

Separately, the Houthis claimed to have conducted two drone strikes on the Israeli cities of Yaffa and Ashkelon. The Israeli Defense Forces have confirmed that one Houthi drone hit a residential building in Yavne, just northeast of Ashdod. No casualties were reported.