The USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, shot down three land attack cruise missiles and several drones in the northern Red Sea. The missiles were launched by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The Pentagon said the missiles were potentially headed toward targets in Israel. 

The missiles were shot down because they “posed a potential threat” based on their flight profile. The action was a demonstration of the integrated air and missile defense architecture that the US has built in the Middle East. 

The US Department of Defense spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said, “We are prepared to utilize this architecture whenever necessary to protect our partners and our interests in this important region”