The Pentagon says an American warship and multiple commercial vessels have come under attack in the Red Sea

A US warship and several commercial ships were attacked in the Red Sea on Sunday, the Pentagon confirmed.

The attack on US maritime vessels may mark a major escalation in a series of attacks in the Middle East linked to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

The Pentagon confirmed that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney, based in the waters between Africa and Asia, was attacked.

On October 19, footage showed the US ship defending itself against a combination of Iranian-backed Houthi missiles and aircraft – which it successfully downed.

The Pentagon said Sunday morning: “We are aware of reports of attacks on the USS Carney and commercial ships in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available.”

Pictured: USS Carney, DDG 64, in Jacksonville, Florida. The Pentagon said: 'We are aware of reports of attacks on the USS Carney and commercial ships in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available.'

The British military previously said a drone strike and explosions were suspected in the Red Sea, without elaborating.

The Pentagon did not indicate where it believed the fire came from.

However, Yemen's Houthi rebels have carried out a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea – and have also launched drones and missiles targeting Israel as it wages war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The rebels, from the Houthis in Yemen, were officially recognized as a terrorist organization by the United States under the Trump administration – until Biden removed the militants from the list in 2021.

Aid groups had said at the time of Trump's action that they could further devastate the country, which was embroiled in civil war in 2014.

Backed by Iran, the group expressed support for Hamas in the aftermath of the terror group's attack on Israel on October 7 and has since launched other attacks.

Just last week, Iran-backed Houthi rebels fired missiles at a US Navy destroyer off the coast of Yemen, in a “significant escalation” with US forces.

The USS Mason had responded on Sunday to a distress call from an Israeli-linked chemical tanker in the Gulf of Aden that had been seized by armed rebels.

The Central Park tanker was carrying a cargo of phosphoric acid when the crew called for help, saying “they were under attack by an unknown entity.”

Allied ships from a counter-piracy task force operating in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia, including the USS Mason, responded to the call for help and “demanded the release of the ship” when they reached the tanker .

“Subsequently, five armed individuals disembarked the vessel and attempted to flee via their small boat,” the US Central Command said in a statement, adding: “The Mason pursued the attackers, resulting in their eventual surrender.”

Hours later, at 1:41 a.m. local time, two ballistic missiles were fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen and subsequently landed near the US warship – a guided missile destroyer. This raised the stakes amid a series of ship attacks linked to the war between Israel and Hamas.

Both missiles fell 10 nautical miles short and landed in the water.

The tanker that was hijacked last Sunday was identified as the Liberian-flagged Central Park after its seizure by the shipping company Zodiac Maritime.

Yemen's internationally recognized government blamed Houthi rebels for the attack, although rebels controlling the capital Sanaa recognized neither the seizure nor the rocket attack.

The Central Command did not identify the attackers but said a rocket launch from Houthi-controlled Yemen followed early Monday morning.

“The missiles landed in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 10 nautical miles (18.5 kilometers) from the ships,” the statement said. “The USS Mason was completing its response to the distress call from the M/V Central Park at the time of the missile launches. “No damage or injuries were reported to either vessel during this incident.”

Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla, USCENTCOM Commander said, “Maritime domain security is essential to regional stability. We will continue to work with allies and partners to ensure the safety and security of international shipping lanes.”