The US Air Force lost contact with an unmanned MQ-9 Reaper drone while it was operating over the Red Sea this week, a US defense official told Al Arabiya English on Tuesday.
The MQ-9 was conducting operations in support of Operation Poseidon Archer, which refers to US military efforts targeting Yemen’s Houthis, the official said adding “we are actively assessing the incident to determine the cause and any subsequent actions”.
Earlier in the day, Washington re-designated the Iran-backed Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), in line with a directive from President Donald Trump in January.
Last month, the Houthis launched surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) at an American fighter jet and another MQ-9 Reaper but didn’t hit either, US officials previously told Al Arabiya English.