By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy Nees
DUBAI/JERUSALEM (Worthy News) – Maritime attacks rapidly escalated Sunday with a U.S. warship opening fire in self-defense while commercial vessels faced drones and missiles in the Red Sea amid an hours-long assault by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, officials said.
The violence marked rapidly worsening tensions at the crucial Mideast shipping route as multiple vessels found themselves in the crosshairs of a single Houthi assault for the first time in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
“We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available,” the U.S. Defense Department said.
The Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer that’s already shot down multiple rockets the Iran-backed Houthis have fired toward Israel so far in the war.
It wasn’t damaged in the attack, and no injuries were reported on board, U.S. sources said.
The Carney reportedly responded after hearing from the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Unity Explorer that it was under attack by missile fire.
The Carney shot down two drones during the attack, one in self-defense and another after checking on the Unity Explorer, U.S. officials said.
‘OPPRESSED PALESTINIANS’
Houthi militia say their actions are against Israel and its allies in “support of the oppressed Palestinian people.”
It also added to the multiple fronts Israel faces as it already battles Hamas, which it regards as a terrorist organization. The standoff in the Red Sea came after U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris urged Israel to “do more” to protect Palestinian civilians from the “devastating” bombardment in Gaza during her hastily planned trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
She met with leaders of the UAE, Egypt, and Jordan and spoke by phone with Qatar’s emir on the sidelines of the ongoing U.N. climate conference in Dubai.
Harris complained that Israel unleashed massive attacks on the crowded southern area of the Gaza Strip since fighting resumed Friday morning after a weeklong truce.
“As Israel defends itself, it matters how. The United States is unequivocal: International humanitarian law must be respected,” Harris said after her meetings. “Too many innocent Palestinians have been killed. Frankly, the scale of civilian suffering and the images and videos coming from Gaza are devastating.’’
She added that as Israel “pursues its military objectives in Gaza, we believe Israel must do more to protect innocent civilians.” Israel says Hamas is using civilians as human shields while also using civilian sites, including hospitals, to hide weapons and fighters.
The Israeli government has pledged to destroy Hamas after it attacked Israel on October 7, killing at least 1,200 people and taking about 240 people hostage. The Hamas-run health ministry claims that more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli retaliatory strikes.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
The Trump administration has finalized a sweeping reciprocal trade agreement with Taiwan, confirming a 15 percent U.S. tariff rate on Taiwanese imports while securing broad new market access and purchase commitments for American goods.
Democrats are applauding White House border czar Tom Homan’s Thursday announcement that immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota will end next week.
Democrats in the U.S. Senate tanked the Homeland Security full-year funding bill in a last-ditch vote Thursday, all but guaranteeing a partial government shutdown starting Saturday.
Mourners in a remote Canadian town grappled Thursday with the aftermath of one of the country’s deadliest school shootings in decades, as families, survivors and leaders reacted to the tragedy that left eight victims — most of them children — dead, along with the 18-year-old suspect.
A gunman who opened fire at a school in southern Thailand’s Hat Yai city on Wednesday wounded a teacher and a student before being detained, authorities said, in a rare attack that sent students and staff into panic.
The Republican-led House of Representatives has passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, advancing legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at the polls. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain amid strong Democratic opposition.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that its advanced David’s Sling air and missile defense system has completed a series of complex modernized tests, a development officials say bolsters the country’s defensive posture as tensions with Iran escalate and the United States prepares military options that could include direct strikes.