Yemen’s Houthis launched surface-to-air missiles at an American fighter jet and MQ-9 Reaper drone this week, but did not hit either, two US officials tells Reuters.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, do not specify if the attacks occurred over the Red Sea or Yemen itself.
One says the incidents could suggest the Houthis were improving their targeting capabilities.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who leads the Iran-backed group, said in a televised speech on Feb. 13 that the Houthis would intervene with missiles and drones and attack vessels in the Red Sea if the United States and Israel tried to remove Palestinians from Gaza by force.
US President Donald Trump has infuriated the Arab world with a plan to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza and take over the enclave to turn it into a beach resort.
The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships off Yemen since November 2023 in support of Gaza’s Palestinian terror groups fighting Israel, disrupting global shipping.
The Iran-backed movement, which controls northern Yemen, has also frequently fired missiles and drones at Israel over the past year.