The American destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) “shot down” yesterday Tuesday at 23:30 (Sanaa time; 22:30 Greek time) a cruise missile “launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in the direction of Eritrea” Sea,” announced via X (the former Twitter), the joint command of the US armed forces responsible for the Middle East region (CENTCOM, “central command”).

“No injuries or damage were reported,” CENTCOM added.

The Houthis, who are seen as close to Iran and control almost all of northern Yemen, have since late last year stepped up their attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea in a show of “solidarity” with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, pushing major shipping companies to order their ships to circumnavigate Africa, making sea transport much more time-consuming and expensive. They continue to launch missiles and drones, despite a series of missile strikes by the US and British armed forces against their facilities, positions and missiles.

The volume of goods passing through the Suez Canal fell by 42% in two months because of the attacks, according to estimates by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.