For first time, Yemen’s Houthis fire surface-to-air missile at US F-16 over Red Sea

Yemen’s Ansarallah (“Houthi”)-aligned armed forces have targeted a US F-16 fighter jet with a surface-to-air missile on 19 February, according to a Fox News report citing senior Pentagon officials. The US warplane was flying over the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen when it was fired upon, though the missile reportedly missed its target.

The same day, Yemeni forces also launched a missile at an advanced US MQ-9 Reaper drone, the report added. Senior defence officials described the attack as a “significant escalation” and is reportedly debating how to respond, with discussions ongoing over whether to adopt a counterterrorism approach or a broader military campaign against Yemen’s armed forces.

🚨 The Yemeni Armed Forces fired surface-to-air missiles at a U.S. F-16 fighter jet on February 19 (Fox News)

The jet was reportedly flying off the coast of Yemen over the Red Sea when the SAM was fired. The missile did not strike the jet.
Another SAM was fired at an American… pic.twitter.com/e2s6YX6iZR

— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) February 22, 2025

Fox News claimed “This is the first time the Houthis have fired a SAM missile at an American F16 fighter jet.” However, in December, the Houthi-supported Yemeni army said they successfully downed a US F-18 and forced other aircraft to retreat during an American-British attack.

Yemen’s armed forces have not commented on the latest incident, but they have launched hundreds of operations targeting US and Israeli assets since 7 October, 2023, in response to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. In January, they carried out a large-scale attack on the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, forcing it to retreat northward.

While US officials claim that most Yemeni missiles have missed their targets, Yemen’s forces have successfully downed several MQ-9 Reaper drones in past operations. Brigadier General Yahya Saree has repeatedly affirmed that Sanaa will continue defending Yemen’s sovereignty against foreign aggression.

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