The United States has carried out a precision airstrike against a key command center operated by Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, just hours after reports of Houthi missiles aimed at Israel. The strike targeted the “hub for coordinating Houthi operations,” including attacks on US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Southern Red Sea.
This attack comes as the USS Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group arrived in the region, marking its first deployment since March 2020. The group is taking up the role after the Eisenhower Strike Group, which had been deployed for nine months, began the mission in late 2023.
In recent weeks, Houthis have focused their attacks on Israel, but US destroyers have also been targeted twice in December while escorting civilian supply ships. The group claimed an attack on Ben Gurion Airport but later stated they launched a hypersonic missile into Haifa and targeted a military site in Ashkelon.
The Israeli Defense Force has confirmed that the recent Houthi attacks were intercepted, with sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and flights briefly stopped at Ben Gurion Airport. However, there are reports of possible debris falling on a building in Jerusalem.
This airstrike marks the latest escalation in tensions between Yemen’s Houthis and the United States. The Harry S Truman Carrier Strike Group is ready to execute the full spectrum of carrier operations, including defending US and partner forces.
Source: https://maritime-executive.com/article/u-s-conducts-airstrike-on-houthis-as-truman-strike-group-arrives-in-region