Houthis launch surface-to-air missiles at US F-16, drone for the first time: Fox News

CAIRO – 22 February 2025: In a notable escalation of military tensions, the Houthi fighters targeted a US F-16 fighter jet with surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), Fox News reported on Saturday, citing three senior US defense officials.

The incident occurred on Wednesday while the F-16 was flying over the Red Sea, off the coast of Yemen but the missile failed to hit the aircraft.

On the same day, the Houthis also fired a SAM at an American MQ-9 Reaper drone operating outside Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen.

This marks the first instance of the Houthis launching a SAM at a US fighter jet.

A US-led military coalition has been active in the Red Sea since late 2023 to counter Houthi attacks against Israel-linked ships since the Israeli war in Gaza erupted in October of the same year.

The coalition frequently struck targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden came in solidarity with the Palestinian people amid the Israeli war but have stopped since the ceasefire in Gaza took effect on 19 January.