DOD says US Navy, Israeli-owned ship not intended target of Houthi missiles
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has said that a United States Navy destroyer was not the intended target of missiles launched by Houthi rebels in Yemen earlier this week.
The USS Mason, a guided-missile destroyer, was operating off the coast of Yemen when it detected two missiles, which it believed were fired at it from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen. While it is not clear who was the intended target of the missiles, the DOD has made clear that they were not intended for the USS Mason.
The missile launches came two days after Israeli-owned ship, the MV Helios Ray, was struck by an explosion while passing through the Red Sea near the coast of Yemen, causing a hole in the hull of the ship.
The DOD has not confirmed who was behind the attack on the MV Helios Ray, but some U.S. officials have suggested that the Houthi rebels could be responsible.
The DOD has not yet commented on the possibility of a retaliatory strike against the Houthis for the attack on the MV Helios Ray. However, the United States has previously targeted the Houthis in airstrikes and has said that it is considering further military action against them.