US Navy warship fires interceptor at Iranian ballistic missiles: Video

• US Navy destroyers fired interceptors on Tuesday to protect Israel from Iran’s ballistic missile attack.
• A new video shows one of the destroyers – the USS Bulkeley – launching its interceptors.
• A Navy spokesman said it was believed several missiles had been “successfully fired.”

New video footage shared by the US Navy shows an American destroyer firing an interceptor to attack Iranian ballistic missiles fired at Israel on Tuesday.

Capt. Bill Urban, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, said in a statement that two destroyers operating in the eastern Mediterranean struck several Iranian missiles defending Israel.

The ships involved Tuesday were the USS Cole and the USS Bulkeley. These destroyers are equipped with the advanced Aegis Combat System, designed for ballistic missile defense.

“It is believed that multiple missiles were successfully deployed at this time,” Urban said in a Navy statement shared with Business Insider, which also included footage of Bulkeley firing interceptor missiles.

Iran fired more than 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday, in what Tehran said was retaliation for the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday and the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in July.

Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an Israeli military spokesman, said much of the missiles were intercepted by Israel and a U.S.-led defense coalition.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the US military had been “coordinating closely” with Israel to defend the country against the massive attack. He said American destroyers joined Israeli air defense units in firing interceptors to shoot down incoming missiles.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder identified the destroyers as Cole and Bulkeley. He said they fired about a dozen interceptors against the incoming Iranian missiles.

It is 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.