US to send warship, fighter jets to UAE

The United States will send a warship and fighter jets to help defend the United Arab Emirates, officials said on Wednesday, after a series of missile attacks by Yemeni rebels left three dead in the wealthy Gulf state. The deployment, to "assist the UAE against the current threat", follows a phone call between Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the US embassy in the UAE said. The UAE, part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels and a major financial hub, suffered its third missile attack in consecutive weeks on Monday.