Two missiles were fired at a U.S. Navy destroyer from rebel-held territory in Yemen on Sunday, the Pentagon said Monday, confirming that both strikes missed the vessel and landed in the Red Sea.
Captain Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement the attack began at 7 p.m. local time while the USS Mason was conducting routine operations in international waters off the coast of Yemen, ABC News reported.
The missiles were launched within an hour of each other and "impacted the water before reaching the ship," according to the Pentagon. No injuries were reported in the attack, which Pentagon officials determined emanated from territory held by Houthi rebels who are fighting against the Yemeni government.
A Defense official said the crew of the USS Mason deployed "unidentified onboard defensive measures" to deflect the first missile, though it remains unclear what prevented the missile from missing the ship.
"The United States remains committed to ensuring freedom of navigation everywhere in the world, and we will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of our ships and our service members," the Pentagon said.
A Saudi air base near the holy city of Mecca was also targeted Sunday by a ballistic missile fired from Yemen, according to the Associated Press.
Iran has supported the Shiite Houthi rebels but denies sending them weapons. The U.S. Navy, however, has intercepted multiple arms shipments from Tehran that it says were meant to be delivered to the Houthis.