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 Wednesday.

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. “We are actively assessing the incident to determine the cause and any subsequent actions,” the official added.

On Tuesday, the Houthis said they had shot down the MQ-9, which was flying over Hodeidah and conducting “hostile missions.” They also claimed that this was at least the 15th American MQ-9 they had downed since the beginning of the Gaza war in 2023.

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. The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have launched missile and drone attacks against Israel since the Gaza war erupted in October 2023. They have also repeatedly targeted US military vessels and jets as well as merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden—key waterways for global trade.

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.

Former President Joe Biden had previously overturned a decision by the Trump administration to include the Houthis on the FTO list, after humanitarian organizations raised concerns that such a designation would hinder aid efforts in Yemen, which has been enduring one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.

Al Arabiya