NYN I News
The U.S. Central Command Deputy Commander, Rear Admiral Brad Cooper, revealed new, alarming details about a military confrontation between the U.S. and the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the past few months.
Cooper confirmed that the most intense attack occurred recently at the Bab al-Mandab Strait, where U.S. warships, including the destroyer Stockdale and the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, were targeted by a complex and sophisticated attack involving cruise missiles and drones, describing it as “the closest to a major battle scenario.”
According to Cooper, the first moment of confrontation occurred as the warships were crossing from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The Stockdale detected a Houthi drone approaching unexpectedly from a short distance, forcing the crew to use a 5-inch gun to intercept it, although it was unclear whether they succeeded in intercepting the drone.
He explained that the second wave involved Yemeni anti-ship cruise missiles targeting the naval formation. Two of the missiles were intercepted by SM-6 missiles, while a third missile veered off course.
He further noted that as the attack continued, destroyers launched Sea Sparrow missiles to intercept additional missiles, while F-16 aircraft from U.S. bases in the region took off to destroy Houthi missile launch platforms. Cooper pointed out that the speed of the collision between American and Houthi missiles reached 5,000 miles per hour, in a combat environment he described as “the most complex in modern confrontation history,” lasting for an hour and a half.
Cooper concluded with a warning: “The recent attack was not the last… We believe the Houthis are testing the limits of our responses, and the next confrontation could be the most severe.”
This U.S. revelation comes days after the Houthis confirmed their monitoring of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions, declaring their readiness to resume military operations against Israel if the agreement is not upheld.
