The US Department of Defense (DoD) said this week that an Israeli-owned commercial ship targeted by two missile launches from Yemen was not the intended target of the attack.
The DoD said that the missiles fired at the MV HELIOS RAY, an Israeli-owned Panama-flagged merchant vessel, were likely a result of a “mistake.”
“The United States is aware of claims of missile launches from Yemen at a vessel flying the Israeli flag. The United States assesses the Houthi-Iranian-backed attack was not intended to target the Israeli-owned vessel,” John Kirby, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, said in a statement.
He added that it was unclear who the intended target was.
The missiles were fired from the Yemeni coast by Houthi rebels, who have previously targeted vessels in the Red Sea since 2015.
The DoD said the US Navy provided medical attention to four crew members of the ship who were injured in the attack.
The US has been calling for an immediate halt to the missile attacks and other military activities in the region.
