American officials say that the United States shot down a Houthi missile that targeted an American warship in the Red Sea

US military officials said that a US fighter jet shot down a missile fired towards a US warship from a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen.

The destroyer USS Labone came under fire in the southern Red Sea around 4:45 p.m. Sunday, US Central Command said. He said On social media.

Officials said, “The missile was shot down by American fighter jets near the coast of Hodeidah.” “No injuries or damage were reported.”

Sunday's missile launch appears to be the first of its kind by Houthi militants since US and British forces launched a series of large-scale retaliatory air strikes against multiple Houthi targets inside Yemen.

The Houthis, an armed group backed by Iran, have for weeks been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, the gateway to the Suez Canal, one of the world's most dense shipping routes.

President Joe Biden said Friday that at least 27 attacks on international commercial shipping have occurred.

Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, two of the world's largest shipping companies, have diverted container ships away from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, sending them instead on a longer voyage around the Cape of Good Hope.

Biden said that more than 2,000 commercial ships had been rerouted to avoid the Red Sea.

Biden told a news conference that the retaliatory strikes by the US and UK were a “defensive action” following the attacks on commercial ships. a permit Released Thursday.

“I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international trade as necessary,” he said.

ABC News' Luis Martinez and Nathan Luna contributed to this story.