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US to Send Warship, Fighter Jets to UAE After Attacks by Iran-Backed Houthis

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The United States is deploying fighter jets and a guided missile destroyer to assist the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following recent attacks from Yemen’s Houthi movement, aligned with Iran.

The decision comes after a phone call between U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, according to a statement from the Pentagon.

The United States will send the U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Cole to partner with the UAE Navy and make a port call in Abu Dhabi. It will also deploy 5th generation fighter jets to help the UAE against current threats.

USS Cole
The Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Cole is shown at sea in the port of Aden, Yemen, circa September 2000.(U.S. Navy/Getty Images)

The gesture is a “clear signal that the United States stands with the UAE as a long-standing strategic partner,” according to the statement. Other actions include providing early warning intelligence and collaborating on air defense.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition that has been fighting the Houthi rebels since 2015, when the Houthis ousted the government from the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

On Jan. 31, the UAE was attacked by the Houthis for a third time in two weeks while it was hosting Israeli president Isaac Herzog. The Gulf state was able to intercept and destroy a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis.

U.S. and Emirati officials said an earlier missile attack on Jan. 24 was aimed at Al Dhafra Air Base, which was hosting U.S. and Emirati armed forces. U.S. forces used multiple Patriot missile interceptors to destroy the two inbound Houthi ballistic missiles, resulting in zero casualties.

Prior to that, on Jan. 17, a drone-and-missile attack by the Houthis hit three petroleum tanker trucks and triggered a small fire at the international airport in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. The attack killed three foreign workers—two Indian nationals and a Pakistani—and wounded six others. This triggered airstrikes in retaliation on Sanaa.

yemen houthi
Yemenis inspect the damage following overnight air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition targeting the Houthi rebel-held capital Sanaa, on Jan. 18, 2022. (Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images)

The Emirati envoy to the United Nations last week said the UAE may upgrade its defensive capabilities and was in discussions with the United States.

The United States would continue providing early warning intelligence and collaborate on air defence, Austin told Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the UAE’s de facto ruler.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Mimi Nguyen Ly

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Mimi Nguyen Ly is a reporter covering world news with a focus on U.S. news. Based in Australia, she has a background in clinical optometry. Contact Mimi at mimi.nl@epochtimes.com



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