US Navy video/Screengrab
New video footage shared by the US Navy shows an American destroyer firing an interceptor to engage the Iranian ballistic missiles launched at Israel on Tuesday.
Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesperson for US Naval Forces Europe-Africa, said in a statement that two destroyers operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea engaged multiple Iranian missiles in defense of Israel.
The ships involved in Tuesday's engagement were USS Cole and USS Bulkeley. Thee destroyers are equipped with the highly advanced Aegis Combat System, which was designed for ballistic missile defense.
"Multiple missiles are believed to have been successfully engaged at this time," Urban said in a Navy statement shared with Business Insider that included footage of the Bulkeley launching interceptor missiles.
Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in what Tehran said was retaliation for the Friday killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the July assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesperson, said a majority of the missiles were intercepted by Israel and a defensive coalition led by the US.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US military "coordinated closely" with Israel to defend the country against the massive attack. He said that American destroyers joined Israeli air-defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down inbound missiles.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder identified the destroyers as the Cole and Bulkeley. He said they fired roughly a dozen interceptors against the inbound Iranian missiles.
It marks the second time in less than six months that the US military has defended Israel from an Iranian missile attack. Tehran fired more than 300 missiles and drones in April, a handful of which were intercepted by American forces.
