The United States deployed a Navy destroyer to an area off the coast of Yemen to protect other vessels from Houthi militants aligned with Iran, officials told Reuters on Friday.
The USS Cole was sent to the Bab al-Mandab Strait off southwestern Yemen for patrols, which entails escorting vessels around the waterway, officials told the news agency.
Back in 2000, the USS Cole was attacked in the Gulf of Aden by al-Qaeda bombers who used a boat filled with explosives, killing 17 U.S. sailors and injuring dozens more.
Hossein Dehghan, Iran’s defense minister, on Wednesday, called for a meeting among the United Nations Security Council powers to discuss the mater.
“The recent test was in line with our plans and we will not allow foreigners to interfere in our defence affairs,” Dehghan said, as reported by Al Jazeera. “The test did not violate the nuclear deal or the [UN] resolution 2231,” he added.
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