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An American warship and multiple commercial ships came under attack in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said.
Yemen's Houthi rebels later claimed attacks on two ships they described as being linked to Israel, but did not acknowledge targeting a US Navy vessel.
The attack on Sunday (Monday AEDT) potentially marked a major escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
READ MORE: Israeli offensive shifts to crowded southern Gaza
"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 told The Associated Press.
A Pentagon spokesman said the warship shot down numerous drones fired by Yemen Houthis while responding to a distress call from civilian commercial vessels.
It also observed a ballistic missile being deployed.
The Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. It remained unclear what damage, if any, the vessels sustained in the attacks.
The British military earlier said there had been a suspected drone attack and explosions in the Red Sea, without elaborating.
The Pentagon did not identify where it believed the fire came from. However, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed the attacks, saying the first vessel was hit by a missile and the second by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
He described the ships as allegedly ignoring warnings from Houthi officials prior to the attack.
Saree did not mention any US warship being involved in the attack.
The Houthis have been launching a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, as well as launching drones and missiles targeting Israel amid the war.
