2023-10-20 01:48:00
A new group around the table? According to the American Pentagon, a US Navy destroyer, cruising “in the north of the Red Sea”, shot down three surface-to-surface missiles on Thursday October 19. The latter, as well as several drones, were heading “potentially towards targets in Israel”. According to the Americans, the shots were carried out by Houthi rebels in Yemen.
No injuries were reported among the sailors of the USS Carney or among civilians on the ground “to our knowledge,” said the spokesperson for the American Department of Defense, General Pat, at a press conference. Ryder. The ship was patrolling the Red Sea as part of the reinforced military presence of the United States in the region, decided by Joe Biden after the outbreak on October 7 of the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas, which has already left several thousand dead .
According to General Ryder, the missiles probably fell offshore after their interception. “We cannot say with certainty what these missiles were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen, and were heading north along the Red Sea,” he said.
Rebels supported by Tehran
The Iran-backed Houthis took control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014, sparking a war against government forces that left hundreds of thousands dead and displaced millions, plunging the country into a crisis. of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.
The interception of these drones and missiles comes in a context of increased fears by Washington of direct involvement by Tehran in the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
READ ALSO “Support for Hamas is of great strategic importance for Iran”In Iraq, drone attacks against American forces and the international coalition in Iraq were “foiled” on Wednesday and the machines “shot down”, causing minor injuries, American military authorities said. Iraqi armed factions close to Iran have threatened in recent days to attack American interests in Iraq because of Washington’s support for Israel.
Increased American presence in the region
American Defense Minister Lloyd Austin announced on Saturday that the United States would send a second aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean, in order to “deter hostile actions against Israel or any effort to expand this war” .
On Tuesday, the Pentagon further announced that approximately 2,000 members of the US military had been placed on alert for possible deployment to the Middle East in support of Israel. However, a White House spokesperson immediately clarified that it was above all a “signal of deterrence” and not combat troops.
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