BREAKING: Pentagon confirms US warship, commercial ships attacked in Red Sea

Pentagon officials have confirmed that an American warship and multiple commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea on Sunday, with Houthi rebels in Yemen taking credit for the attacks. 

In a statement, the Pentagon said, "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." 

According to NPR, the USS Carney is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and the attack could be a potential escalation of maritime attacks in connection to the war between Israel and Hamas. 

The outlet says that Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen have been using drones and missiles to target Israel, along with increasing attacks on ships in the Red Sea. A rebel spokesman said they would be releasing an "important" statement shortly.
 

The Houthi rebels control the northern part of Yemen, and according to the Associated Press, have long called for the destruction of Israel at their rallies. After the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas, the group has launched more than six drone and missile attacks in south Israel but did little damage. 

The Iranian-backed organization has vowed to continue attacking the country until "Israeli aggressions stop." They have also been increasingly targeting ships in the Red Sea as the Israel-Hamas war continues. 

In November, Houthis stole a transport ship that was tied to Israel and continued to hold the vessel in Hodeida, per NPR. Last week, a Houthi missile landed near a US ship after it helped an Israeli ship that was being attacked by rebels. NPR reports that the Houthis had not directly targeted Americans for quite some time, further raising the stakes. 

This is a breaking story and will be updated.