A fierce, hours-long confrontation unfolded in the Red Sea on Wednesday as the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) clashed with United States Navy vessels, marking the third such engagement within a 24-hour period.

The YAF, led by spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree, confirmed the deployment of multiple cruise missiles and one-way attack drones targeting American naval assets in the latest skirmish.

According to Saree, the operation involved coordinated efforts from the YAF’s Rocket Force, Navy, and Unmanned Air Force. The attacks are part of an escalating campaign against U.S. military presence in the region, which the YAF claims is in retaliation for Washington’s support of Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza.

The YAF has vowed to intensify its operations against U.S. Navy ships, with Saree warning that the confrontations will grow progressively more aggressive in the coming days. The group’s actions are framed as a direct response to what it calls a “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza, accusing the U.S. of complicity in Israel’s military campaign.

“The Armed Forces’ operations against the Israeli enemy—blocking its navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea and targeting its military and vital facilities—are aimed at halting the genocide against the oppressed Palestinian people in Gaza,” Saree stated. He emphasized that the violence is unfolding “in full view of Arabs, Muslims, and the entire world.”

Saree underscored the YAF’s resolve, declaring that the group’s military efforts will persist until Israel halts its aggression in Gaza and lifts the blockade on the enclave. “These operations will not stop until the aggression against Gaza ends and the siege is lifted,” he asserted in a televised address from Sana’a.

The repeated clashes in the Red Sea have heightened fears of a broader conflict, drawing the attention of regional and international observers. The strategic waterway, a critical artery for global trade, has become a flashpoint amid rising tensions between the YAF and the United States. Analysts warn that the situation could further destabilize an already volatile region if the cycle of retaliation continues unchecked.

As of now, the U.S. Navy has not issued an official statement regarding today’s clash or the extent of any damage to its vessels. The international community remains on edge, bracing for potential repercussions as the YAF doubles down on its campaign and the U.S. weighs its next move in this rapidly escalating standoff. (ILKHA)