Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by the Islamic Republic of Iran, fired at least two ballistic missiles at the USS Mason, a guided-missile destroyer operating in the Gulf of Aden, and a nearby commercial tanker ship. The USS Mason is operating as part of a U.S. Navy task-force in the region had early intercepted the Central Park, a tanker ship which had been hijacked by Houthi rebels. Upon intercept, the Houthi rebels abandoned the Central Park and attempted to flee by speed boat but were captured by the U.S. Navy.
According to a statement from U.S. Central Command, the naval task-force in the Gulf of Aden received a distress call from the Central Park and “[u]pon arrival, coalition elements demanded release of the vessel. Subsequently, five armed individuals debarked the ship and attempted to flee via their small boat.”
Central Command said the USS Mason pursued the hijackers, with the Houthi rebels eventually surrendering. Several hours later, however, “….two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi controlled areas in Yemen toward the general location of the [USS Mason] and [the Central Park]… The missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden approximately ten nautical miles from the ships.” According to the statement neither ship was damaged by the missile attack and no sailors reported injuries.
The missile attack on the USS Mason and the Central Park mark the latest escalation in aggression by the Iranian-backed Houthis. In mid-October, Houthi rebels fired cruise missiles from Yemen towards Israel which were subsequently intercepted by the USS Carney, a guided-missile destroyer in the Red Sea. Cruise missiles were again fired from Yemen in mid-November and were intercepted by Israel’s own missile defense system.
