US warship shoots down kamikaze drones in Red Sea as Iran-backed rebels vow more attacks after hijacking cargo ship

A US warship shot down kamikaze drones fired by Iran-backed rebels in the Red Sea just days after they hijacked an Israeli-owned cargo ship.

The destroyer USS Thomas Hudner repelled the attacks while defending Israeli interests in the region amid the conflict in Gaza.

The attempt comes after Houthi rebels vowed they would target all ships owned by Israel or flying the Israeli flag in the Red Sea.

A series of drone and missile attacks against US forces poised to defend Israel in Iraq and Syria have also been launched by the Houthi group.

Just days ago they hijacked a shipping vessel with 25 people on board owned by an Israeli billionaire - also in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen.

Chilling footage showed the group hovering above the cargo carrier in a chopper before several gunmen pour out and storm the ship's deck.

They held the international crew at gunpoint in the horror ambush on Monday.

One could be heard shouting: “God is the Greatest, Death to America, Death to Israel, Cursed be the Jews, Victory to Islam".

The United States denounced the ship's seizure as a breach of international law and demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew.

In Wednesday's ambush drones coming from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen was destroyed by the US Navy warship Thomas Hudner.

The US said there was no injury sustained by the crew and no damage to the missile-destroyer. 

It is still unknown whether the drones were armed and how close they came to the warship before it was shot down. 

The Yemen-based rebels have vowed to target all ships owned by Israel or flying their flag in the Red Sea.

The Iran-backed group, widely believed to receive support from Iran, controls Yemen and its coast along the Red Sea.

Iran is believed to actively arm the group, and even provide them with potential targets.

Houthi involvement stokes fears that the war in Gaza could spiral out into the wider Middle East.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said of the cargo ship ambush on Sunday: "The hijacking of the cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very serious event on a global level.

"This is a ship that left Turkey on its way to India with an international civilian crew, without Israelis."

The Bahaman-flagged cargo ship is registered under a British company, which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar, better known as Rami.

The vessel was being leased out to the Japanese company, Nippon Yusen, at the time of the hijacking.

The Galaxy Leader had been sailing from Turkey to India with an international civilian crew, reportedly without any Israelis aboard.

A US State Department spokesman said: "The Houthi seizure of the motor vessel Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea is a flagrant violation of international law.

"We demand the immediate release of the ship and its crew and we will consult with our allies and U.N. partners as to appropriate next steps."