Yemen's Houthi rebels have for the first time fired surface-to-air missiles at a US F-16 fighter jet over the Red Sea, Fox News reported, in what officials describe as a significant escalation in the Iran-backed group's ongoing conflict with the US military.
The missile fired at the American warplane did not hit the target, according to the Saturday report by Fox News.
The Houthis also fired a surface-to-air missile at an American MQ-9 Reaper drone that the US military was flying over Yemen on February 19.
The Houthis have earlier shot down several MQ-9 Reaper drones over the past year. Every single one of these drones costs about $32 million, according to a Congressional report.
Last month, US President Donald Trump re-designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization over their attacks on Red Sea shipping and Israel linked to the Gaza war.
Now there is a policy debate at the highest levels of the Trump administration's military about the best way to counter the Houthis, according to Fox News.
Shortly after Trump's inauguration, Iran directed its allied forces across the Middle East including the Houthis to act with restraint, the Telegraph reported, citing a senior Iranian official in Tehran.
“Forces and allies in the region have been instructed to act with caution as [the regime] feels an existential threat with Trump’s return,” the Iranian official said.
“In Iraq and Yemen, forces have been told not to target any American assets, and if they do, they are explicitly warned against using Iranian weapons,” the official added at the time.
“They have been told to keep defensive positions for a while and to avoid any actions that might provoke the Americans.”
