**Breaking News: Houthi Missile Attack on USS Leon Ends in Catastrophe for Yemen’s Forces**

In a stunning escalation of hostilities, Houthi forces in Yemen attempted a brazen missile strike against the USS Leon early this morning, only to face catastrophic failure. At 2:00 a.m. local time on January 14, 2024, a modified Iranian anti-ship ballistic missile was launched from a mobile platform near Hodea, Yemen, targeting the U.S. Navy destroyer. The missile, traveling at over 3.4 kilometers per second, seemed poised to make history, but a critical navigation error turned the strike into a dramatic misfire.

Deep underground, Houthi operators monitored the missile’s trajectory with false confidence, unaware that a mere 0.5° drift in its inertial navigation system would lead to disaster. As the missile descended, it failed to locate its target, missing the USS Leon by an astonishing 12.5 miles and splashing harmlessly into the Gulf of Aden.

Seconds after the threat was confirmed, the USS Leon sprang into action. With emergency protocols activated, the destroyer surged from a sluggish crawl to over 30 knots, ready to retaliate. Within minutes, U.S. forces launched a counter-strike, deploying four FA-18 Super Hornets from the USS Eisenhower to neutralize the Houthi launch site. Armed with precision bunker-buster bombs, the jets obliterated the missile launcher, a radar installation, and command bunkers, leaving no room for retaliation.

As live feeds streamed back to the USS Eisenhower, analysts confirmed the destruction of all primary targets. The operation underscored a chilling message: any attack on a U.S. warship will be met with swift and decisive retribution. The Houthi forces, who believed they could challenge American naval power, now face the grim reality of their miscalculation. This incident marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict in the Red Sea, signaling that the stakes are rising and the U.S. response will be relentless.