A United States Navy warship has shot down a drone launched from a part of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Huthi rebels as Washington condemned an unmanned aerial vehicle of Iran for approaching its aircraft carrier.
The US Central Command said Wednesday the USS Carney shot down an Iranian-produced KAS04 UAV in the South Red Sea at approximately 1100 (Sanaa time).
"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, adding that "there were no injuries to US personnel and no damage to US vessels."
The US Navy downed multiple drones launched from Yemen on 23 November one drone on 15 November, and both missiles and drones on 19 October, while the Huthis shot down an American drone earlier this month.
The drone and missile launches and shootdowns are related to the latest round of fighting between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas, which carried out a shock cross-border attack from Gaza on 7 October that Israeli officials say killed about 1,200 people.
Meanwhile, the Iranian drone flew as close as 1,500 meters to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower on Tuesday as the carrier conducted flight operations in the Gulf, ignoring "multiple hails and warnings" and violating a "Notice to Airmen" instructing aircraft to remain more than 18.5 kilometers away, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said in a statement.