A US Navy warship intercepted three missiles Thursday that had been fired by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, were heading north, and may have been aimed at Israel, the Pentagon said.

US officials said the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, was in the Red Sea and intercepted the three missiles.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, told reporters three land attack cruise missiles and several drones were launched by Houthi forces in Yemen. He said they were shot down over the water.

“We cannot say for certain what these missiles and drones were targeting, but they were launched from Yemen heading north along the Red Sea, potentially toward targets in Israel,” Ryder said in a Pentagon briefing.

Ryder said the missiles were shot down because they “posed a potential threat” based on their flight profile, adding that the US is prepared to do whatever is needed “to protect our partners and our interests in this important region.” He said the US was still assessing what the target was.

Unnamed Israeli officials told Army Radio and the Walla news site that the missiles were fired in the direction of the Jewish state.