The French defense ministry announced on Sunday that a French warship, stationed in the Red Sea, successfully intercepted and shot down two drones launched from the coast of Yemen.
The multipurpose frigate Languedoc thwarted the first drone at approximately 9:30 p.m. local French time on Saturday and neutralized a second one around 11:30 p.m., positioned 110 km (68.35 miles) from the Yemen coast near Al Hudaydah.
The Houthi movement in Yemen had declared on Saturday their intention to target all ships en route to Israel, irrespective of their nationality.
Additionally, they issued a warning to all international shipping companies, cautioning them against engaging with Israeli ports.
The Houthis, aligned with Iran, have previously carried out attacks and seized several ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab strait, a crucial sea lane responsible for a significant portion of the world’s oil shipments.