The war is rapidly expanding now that the truce is over and Israel has gone back to relentlessly bombing Gaza. Yemen Houthis have struck three commercial ships in the Red Sea, which caused the United States to use a warship and down three drones.

According to a report by The Associated Press News, Ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships Sunday in the Red Sea. At the same time, a U.S. warship shot down three drones in “self-defense” during the hourslong assault. The U.S. military said that the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed two of the attacks.

The strikes marked an escalation in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the Israel-Hamas war. Multiple vessels found themselves in the crosshairs of a single Houthi assault for the first time during the conflict. The U.S. vowed to “consider all appropriate responses” in the wake of the attack, specifically calling out Iran after tensions have been high for years now over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.

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This is just one more leap toward World War 3. “These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security,” the U.S. military’s Central Command said in a statement. “They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world.” It added: “We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran.”

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Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed two of Sunday’s attacks, saying the first vessel was hit by a missile and the second by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Saree did not mention any U.S. warship being involved.

“The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea (and the Gulf of Aden) until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops,” Saree said according to APNews. “The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all Israeli ships or those associated with Israelis that they will become a legitimate target if they violate what is stated in this statement.”