Houthi missile, drone attack on US Navy ships failed, official says

The Houthis' retaliatory missile and drone attack on US Navy ships in the Red Sea did not come close to hitting any American vessels, a US official confirmed, after President Donald Trump's administration launched a new series of airstrikes targeting the Yemeni group, Report informs via ABC News.

The Houthis claimed on Sunday to have fired 18 ballistic missiles and a drone at the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier group in two separate attacks over the previous 24 hours. The strike, the group said, "succeeded in thwarting a hostile attack the enemy was preparing to launch against our country."

A US official stated that the Houthis fired 11 drones and one ballistic missile, none of which came close to hitting any US vessels.

All drones were downed by fighters -- 10 shot down by Air Force planes and one by Navy planes -- while the ballistic missile was not intercepted as it fell far short of the vessels, the official said.

The Houthi retaliation came after a wave of US airstrikes in Yemen beginning on Saturday, which Trump described as "decisive and powerful military action" against the Iranian-backed group. The Houthis have been targeting Western-linked shipping and launching munitions into Israel since the fall of 2022, in protest of Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

A US official confirmed to ABC News on Sunday that US air and naval assets hit dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen, including missiles, radars and drone and air defense systems. The official characterized the attacks as an opening salvo against the Houthis that sends a strong message to Iran.

The Yemeni Health Ministry said the strikes killed 53 people and injured 98 more.