By Al-Fassel and AFP | 2023-11-30

A US Navy warship on Wednesday (November 29) shot down an Iranian-produced drone launched from a part of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis, the US military said.

At approximately 11am local time, guided missile destroyer USS Carney "shot down an Iranian-produced KAS04 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)" in the south Red Sea, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.

"Although its intentions are not known, the UAV was heading toward the warship," which was escorting a US Navy oiler and a US-flagged ship carrying military equipment, it said.

"There were no injuries to US personnel and no damage to US vessels," it said.

G7 foreign ministers had on Wednesday called on the Houthis to cease threats to international shipping and to release a vessel they seized earlier this month.

On November 28, an Iranian drone flew "dangerously close" to the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier, which is deployed in the Arabian Gulf.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen and are part of a so-called "axis of resistance" arrayed against Israel, have launched a series of drones and missiles since the start of the Israel-Hamas war last month.

The US Navy downed multiple drones launched from Yemen on November 23, one drone on November 15, and both missiles and drones on October 19, while the Houthis shot down a US drone earlier this month.

The drone and missile launches and shootdowns are related to the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas, which carried out a terrorist attack from Gaza on October 7 that killed about 1,200 people and triggered the ongoing war.

Israel has faced drone and missiles launched from Lebanon and Yemen, while US forces in Iraq and Syria have been targeted in a series of attacks that have injured dozens of US personnel.

Washington has blamed the attacks on its personnel on Iran-backed forces and responded with air strikes on multiple occasions.

But a truce between Israel and Hamas appears to have led to a lull in the attacks, with the Pentagon saying Tuesday that there had been none since the truce began on November 24.

Iran drone approaches carrier

The United States said Wednesday that an Iranian drone flew dangerously close to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier the day before.

The Eisenhower is the centerpiece of one of two carrier strike groups deployed as part of US efforts to deter Iran and its proxy forces in the Middle East from escalating the Israel-Hamas war into a broader regional conflict.

The Iranian drone flew as close as 1,500 yards (1,371 meters) to the Eisenhower as the carrier conducted flight operations in the Gulf, said Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, who commands US naval forces in the Middle East.

Its operators ignored "multiple hails and warnings" and violated a "Notice to Airmen" instructing aircraft to remain more than 10 nautical miles (18.5km) away, Cooper said in a statement.

"This unsafe, unprofessional, and irresponsible behavior by Iran risks US and partner nation lives and needs to cease immediately," Cooper said.

"US naval forces remain vigilant and will continue to fly, sail and operate anywhere international law allows while promoting regional maritime security," he added.

The Eisenhower carrier strike group completed a scheduled transit through the Strait of Hormuz into the Arabian Gulf on November 26, CENTCOM said.

"Our passage through this important strait and continued presence in the area plays a critical role in maintaining the freedom of navigation that is key to regional security and stability," said the group's commander Rear Adm. Marc Miguez.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the busiest shipping lanes, with one-fifth of the world's energy supply transiting through the strait annually.

More than 500 ships sail through the Strait of Hormuz in a typical week, a steady flow of maritime traffic crucial to the vitality of the Middle East.