Dec 26th: Updated map of warships operating in Red Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea.

!

U.S. Navy intercepts Iran coastal missiles

The U.S. Navy launched anti-ship missiles to intercept missiles fired by the Iran-backed Houthis in the Red Sea, signaling a major escalation in the region, a senior defense official told Fox News.

The US Navy intercepted 3 ballistic missiles supplied by Iran to the Houthis in Yemen. It was the first time the Navy had intercepted an attacking ballistic missile using an anti-ship ballistic missile.

The U.S. military's Central Command said the destroyer USS Labone and other warships from the task force accompanying the aircraft carrier Eisenhower's Carrier Strike Group shot down 12 suicide drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles and two surface-to-surface missiles launched by the Houthis during a period of 12 hours.

Iran has recently claimed that it is developing "smart" cruise missiles for its naval military arsenal. Also, nearly 100 drones launched by the Houthis have been shot down since October 17. The Houthi militia has attacked more than 21 international ships in the region, disrupting global shipping.