Yemen's Houthis launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at an American fighter jet and MQ-9 Reaper drone this week, but did not hit either, two US officials told Reuters.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify if the attacks occurred over the Red Sea or Yemen itself.
One said the incidents could suggest the Houthis were improving their targeting capabilities.
The missiles were launched on Wednesday, marking the first time SAMs were launched at an American F16 fighter jet, according to Fox News.
Additionally, the US jet was flying over Yemen but outside Houthi-controlled areas, Fox reported.
This attack marks a significant escalation in the ongoing military interactions between the Iranian-backed group and the US Navy and Air Force, senior US defense officials told Fox.
Houthis as a terror organization
US President Donald Trump redesignated the Yemen Houthi group, known formally as Ansar Allah, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in his first week back in office.
Along with the redesignation, the White House claimed that Trump’s administration would work with regional partners to "eliminate the Houthis capabilities and operations, deprive them of resources, and thereby end their attacks on US personnel and civilians, US partners, and maritime shipping in the Red Sea."