US Navy Ship
According to the Pentagon, a US Navy ship on Thursday shot down missiles and drones that may have been aimed against Israel by Houthi rebels in Yemen. A destroyer intercepted three “land-attack cruise missiles and several drones,” a spokesman told reporters. From Yemen, the strike had been launched, “potentially toward targets in Israel.”
US military in Red Sea shot the Yemen missiles
In order to ensure stability following the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip, President Joe Biden ordered a significantly increased US military presence in the Red Sea. The ship, USS Carney, was patrolling there at the time.
The spokesman said that missiles were fired from Yemen where the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are at war with a government backed by a Saudi-led coalition. No US citizens were injured, the spokesman said, adding that “we cannot say for certain what these missiles were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen, heading north along the Red Sea.” “Our defensive response was one we would have taken for any similar threat in the region,” he said.
“We have the capability to defend our broader interests in the region and to deter regional escalation and broader expansion of the conflict that began with Hamas’ attack on Israeli civilians.” In order to prevent the Israel-Hamas conflict from spreading to the volatile Middle East, Biden has authorized more air and naval resources, including the dispatch of two aircraft carriers.
Also Read: “Not In My Name”: Jewish Protesters Rally At US Capitol, Urging Ceasefire In Gaza
US deploys 2,000 personnel on ground
The Pentagon also put 2,000 people on alert for potential deployment on Tuesday. While the White House emphasized that there were no plans to deploy US combat forces on the ground, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed that the deployment would enable the US to “respond more quickly” to the crisis.
According to US media, the troops preparing for deployment will perform support functions like providing medical care and handling explosives. Biden flew to Israel this week in a dramatic display of US support, and he was scheduled to address Congress from the White House later on Thursday in a speech encouraging them to provide military support for both Israel and Ukraine, another troubled US ally.
When questioned by reporters late on Wednesday about claims that his administration had assured Israel that US forces would support Israeli troops in any attack by the potent Hezbollah movement against Israel, Biden responded that this was “not true.”
In contrast, he asserted that “our military is talking with their military about what the alternatives are” in the event of a Hezbollah attack.
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