The Pentagon on Sunday announced that attacks had been carried out on a United States warship as well as commercial vessels stationed in the Middle East, which could be a significant escalation in the ongoing war in the region.
“We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available,” the Pentagon said, according to the Associated Press.
The U.S. has strongly backed its longtime ally Israel in the aftermath of an October 7 attack carried out by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, which left some 1,200 dead. Israel’s government declared war on Hamas, which is backed by Iran, and has bombarded Gaza, which the group governs, while also cutting off fuel, food and electricity to the densely populated area. More than 15,000 Palestinians have died since the bombing began.
Regional Iranian-backed groups, including the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iraqi militias, have already been involved in the conflict, carrying out attacks on Israel or U.S. forces in the region.
This is a breaking story and will be updated when more information becomes available.
Lukasz Larsson Warzecha/Getty Images
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.