Two American officials told Fox News on Monday that the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at the U.S. destroyer USS Mason after they had detained five individuals who attempted to hijack a ship owned by an Israeli businessman in the Gulf of Aden. According to the sources, the U.S. destroyer activated its onboard air defense systems; however, the missiles ultimately failed to reach the destroyer and fell into the sea.
U.S. officials confirmed that the Pentagon is concerned about the nature of the recent escalation in the region. The Central Command stated in a release on X platform that the U.S. destroyer had received a distress call from a commercial tanker after it was attacked by an "unknown entity."
On November 26, the USS Mason, along with allied ships from the coalition counter-piracy task force (TF 151) and associated aircraft, responded to the distress call from the M/V CENTRAL PARK, a commercial vessel that was under attack by an unknown entity.
The report further explained that five armed individuals who were holding the tanker attempted to flee upon the arrival of the forces, but they eventually surrendered, confirming that the crew of the commercial ship was safe.
It was noted that the ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen toward the U.S. destroyer but fell into the Gulf of Aden. Central Command leader Michael Kurilla stated, "We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international maritime corridors. Maritime security is essential for regional stability."
Earlier in the day, Fox News reported that the tanker is operated by a company owned by an Israeli businessman and was flying the Liberian flag, carrying a shipment of phosphoric acid on Sunday off the coast of Yemen. The network quoted a spokesperson for the London-based Zodiac company, the owner of the tanker, saying that the vessel was attacked by "suspected pirates" while transiting the recommended international route approximately 54 nautical miles from the coast of Somalia.
