A US defense official, who requested to remain anonymous, announced that the US Navy destroyer Mason shot down a drone launched by the Houthis from Yemen that was coming towards it while it was investigating reports of an attack on a commercial ship.

The official stated that the Houthis attacked the commercial ship "Ardmore Encounter" with boats and then fired two missiles that did not hit the ship, which did not report any damage or injuries and continued on its course.

The incident came a day after the Houthis targeted a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile as part of what they say is a response to the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip.

Yesterday, the Houthi militia attacked the ship “MT Strinda” with two ballistic missiles launched from Hodeidah and the city of Al-Hawban, east of Taiz, 60 miles north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

On December 3, the Houthi militia carried out 4 attacks with missiles and drones against 3 ships in the Red Sea, namely “No. 9”, “MV Soviet”, and “Unity Explore”, the latter owned by Britain.

On November 19, the Houthi militia pirated a Japanese ship from the international waterway in the Red Sea, with dozens of sailors of different nationalities on board, against the backdrop of the war between Gaza and Israel.