Pentagon says US warship shot down missiles and drones near Israel

Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder told reporters that the interception took place over the Red Sea on Thursday. He added that the missiles were heading north, “potentially toward targets in Israel,” and that the US ship was not threatened.

“There were no casualties to US forces and none that we know of to any civilians on the ground,” Ryder continued.

The incident came after drones targeted military sites housing US personnel in Iraq and Syria. On Tuesday, the UAVs attacked the Al-Asad and Al-Harir (Bashur) air bases, causing minor injuries to the Western coalition forces, according to the Pentagon. Two drones attacked the Al-Tanf base in Syria the next day. One UAV was shot down, while another struck the base, also inflicting minor injuries to Western troops.

The US dispatched a naval armada led by the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to the eastern Mediterranean after the Hamas-Israel hostilities erupted on October 7.

Washington delivered additional ammunition and other equipment to longtime ally Israel in its fight with Palestinian fighters. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin directed the deployment of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the region to “signal the US’s commitment to ensuring Israel’s security and deter any state or non-state actor from seeking to escalate the war,” according to the Pentagon.