A US warship operating in the Red Sea on Thursday intercepted several drones and missiles that had been launched by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and were possibly headed towards targets in Israel, the Pentagon said.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig Gen Pat Ryder said the USS Carney shot down three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones in the northern Red Sea.
"We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially towards targets in Israel," Brig Gen Ryder told reporters.
They were "launched by Houthi forces in Yemen", he said, and were brought down over the ocean.
There were no known casualties to US forces or anyone else, as far as the Pentagon was aware.
"This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defence architecture that we have built in the Middle East and that we are prepared to utilise whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region," Brig Gen Ryder said.
Washington is on heightened alert for activity by Iran-backed groups as regional tensions soar during the Israel-Gaza war.
The US is sending bombs and ammunition to its ally Israel as it bombards Gaza before an expected ground invasion.
Houthi rebels have expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened Israel. Last week in Sanaa, demonstrators crowded the streets waving Yemeni and Palestinian flags.
Abdul Malek Al Houthi, the rebel group’s leader, has warned the US against intervening in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, threatening that his forces would retaliate by firing drones and missiles, AP reported.
Thursday's interceptions were the latest in a series of incidents involving drones and US forces in the region.
On Wednesday, the US Al Tanf base in Syria was targeted by two drones.
US and coalition forces destroyed one, while the other drone hit the base, resulting in minor injuries to coalition troops, Brig Gen Ryder said.
Also on Wednesday, the US military shot down three drones in western Iraq.
Late on Thursday, drones and rockets again targeted Al Asad air base in Iraq, and blasts were heard inside the base, two security sources said told Reuters.
The Iraqi military said it closed the area around the base and started a search operation. It was not clear yet whether the attacks caused casualties or damage, said the sources.
“You have to look at these [attacks] individually. We’re taking them seriously and responding appropriately,” Brig Gen Ryder said.
“Our focus is on deterring a broader regional conflict, and right now this conflict is contained between Israel and Hamas.
"Any response, should one occur, will come at a time and in a manner of our choosing."
Another incident in Iraq on Wednesday saw US early warning systems indicate a possible threat approaching Al Asad airbase, which hosts US and other international forces in western Iraq.
Ultimately, no attack occurred but a civilian contractor died from a "cardiac event" while sheltering, Brig Gen Ryder said.
The Pentagon has sent significant naval power to the Middle East in the past week, including two aircraft carriers, their support ships and about 2,000 Marines.
The USS Carney arrived in the Red Sea on Wednesday to “help ensure maritime security and stability in the Middle East region", the US Navy's Fleet Forces said in a message on X, formerly Twitter.
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The stats
Ship name: MSC Bellissima
Ship class: Meraviglia Class
Delivery date: February 27, 2019
Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT
Passenger capacity: 5,686
Crew members: 1,536
Number of cabins: 2,217
Length: 315.3 metres
Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Scoreline:
Everton 4
Richarlison 13'), Sigurdsson 28', Digne 56', Walcott 64'
Manchester United 0
Man of the match: Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton)
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Arushi Holt (vice-captain) – wing defence / centre (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Olivia Petricola (vice-captain) – centre / wing attack (Dubai English Speaking College)
Isabel Affley – goalkeeper / goal defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Jemma Eley – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Alana Farrell-Morton – centre / wing / defence / wing attack (Nord Anglia International School)
Molly Fuller – goal attack / wing attack (Dubai College)
Caitlin Gowdy – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai English Speaking College)
Noorulain Hussain – goal defence / wing defence (Dubai College)
Zahra Hussain-Gillani – goal defence / goalkeeper (British School Al Khubairat)
Claire Janssen – goal shooter / goal attack (Jumeriah English Speaking School)
Eliza Petricola – wing attack / centre (Dubai English Speaking College)
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Match info
Karnataka Tuskers 110-3
J Charles 35, M Pretorius 1-19, Z Khan 0-16
Deccan Gladiators 111-5 in 8.3 overs
K Pollard 45*, S Zadran 2-18
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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EVIL%20DEAD%20RISE
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
