The crew of the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones launched by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen — in a potential widening of instability in the Middle East, initiated by actors backed by Iran.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that the Carney was operating in the northern Red Sea when it shot down the cruise missiles and drones, and called it a “demonstration” of American capabilities and willingness to protect partners and interests in the region.
“This action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that we have built in the Middle East, and that we are prepared to utilize whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region,” Ryder said at a press conference Thursday.
Ryder said there were no casualties to U.S. forces and the Pentagon was not aware of any civilian casualties on the ground. He claimed the Pentagon cannot say “for certain” what the missiles and drones were targeting, except that it was “potentially towards targets in Israel.”
“Information about these engagements is still being processed. 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 toward targets in Israel,” he said.
Ryder did not say what those targets in Israel could be, but that they included “interests and personnel and our partners.”
“This attack may be ongoing. So if we have more information to share, we will,” he said, before issuing another warning against actors in the region seeking to widen the conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hamas.
“As [Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin] has made clear, we have the capability to defend our broader interests in the region and to deter regional escalation and broader expansion of the conflict that began with Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, the crew of the Carney did just that and across the force we will remain vigilant to any other potential threats,” he said.
Ryder also addressed drone attacks against U.S. facilities in Iraq and Syria, where at least one contractor died from a heart attack after the attacks.
“Early yesterday morning, Syria time, October 18, the Al-Tanf garrison in Syria was targeted by two drones. U.S. and coalition forces engaged one drone, destroying it, while the other drone impacted the base resulting in minor injuries to coalition forces,” he said.
“Also the same morning in Iraq, early warning systems indicated a possible threat approaching the airbase at al-Asad Air Base. Personnel sheltered in place as a protective measure. Though no attack occurred, sadly, a U.S. civilian contractor suffered a cardiac episode while sheltering and passed away shortly thereafter, and our deepest sympathies and condolences are with the loved ones of the individual who passed away,” he said.
“The day before, on October 17, U.S. military forces defended against three drones near U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. In western Iraq at al-Asad airbase, U.S. forces engaged two drones, destroying one and damaging the second, resulting in minor injuries to coalition forces. Separately in northern Iraq, U.S. forces engaged and destroyed a drone near Bashir airbase, resulting in no injuries or damage,” he said.
“And while I’m not going to forecast any potential response to these attacks, I will say that we will take all necessary actions to defend U.S. and coalition forces against any threat,” he warned.
Asked if the attacks on U.S. facilities in the region were related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, given the threats from Iranian-backed groups for the U.S. to not intervene in Gaza, Ryder side-stepped the question.
“Again, it’s important to separate these attacks from the current situation. We’re going to continue to assess attribution on these. Certainly, rhetoric from hate groups is not a new thing in the region,” he said. “We’re of course going to take all of that seriously. But we’re also not going to overreact. We’re going to continue to do what we need to do to deter conflict and ensure regional stability, while at the same time supporting Israel.”
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