On Saturday, the U.S. military reported that a warship of theirs had destroyed 14 drones in the Red Sea they deemed to be hostile. The British Royal Navy also stated that one of their destroyers had eliminated a drone which was targeting commercial vessels.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have attacked numerous ships in the Red Sea, a heavily trafficked waterway, and used drones and missiles against Israel, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas appears to be expanding.

The United States Central Command reported that the USS Carney destroyer had effectively targeted and destroyed 14 unmanned aerial vehicles that were launched from territories in Yemen managed by the Houthi.

Central Command tweeted that no harm was done to ships in the vicinity or any people reported hurt as a result of the drones being brought down.

Grant Shapps, the U.K. Defense Secretary, reported that HMS Diamond had fired a Sea Viper missile and successfully eliminated a drone that was aiming for merchant shipping. This incident marked the first time in nearly 30 years that the Royal Navy had shot down an aerial target in anger since the conflict in the Persian Gulf in 1991.

According to experts, the Houthi rebels’ assaults on merchant vessels in the crucial shipping route pose a direct menace to international trade and maritime safety.

Two weeks ago, a British warship named HMS Diamond was deployed to the region to serve as a deterrent, accompanied by ships from the United States, France, and other countries.

On Saturday, the Houthi rebels reported they had sent a number of drones towards Eilat, a port city in southern Israel. This statement came soon after the Egyptian government mentioned that their air defense had shot down a “flying object” off the coast of Dahab, a resort town on the Red Sea.

Vessels with ties to Israel have been targeted as well; however, the risk to commerce has escalated as oil tankers and container ships flying the flags of countries like Norway and Liberia have been targeted or subjected to missile fire while going through the strait between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Towards the beginning of June, three ships that were sailing in the Red Sea were hit by missiles launched from Yemen, which is under Houthi control. The US military mentioned that their warship was able to shoot down three drones which were involved in the attack.

The CMA CGM Group, a French shipping company, declared on Saturday that all ships that were expected to transit through the Red Sea must immediately cease traveling and stay in safe waters until further notice.

Maersk, the largest shipping provider on the planet, instructed all ships planning to sail through Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea to cease their voyages after a Liberian-flagged cargo vessel was hit by a missile on Friday. Additionally, Hapag-Lloyd, a German-based shipper, announced a pause in their container ship traffic through the Red Sea until Monday.