Houthis claim to have attacked US aircraft carrier | Israeli National News

Houthi rebels claimed on Saturday that they had attacked the U.S. aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, but two U.S. officials denied the claim.

“That’s wrong,” said one of the officers Reuters.

The Eisenhower, whose deployment in the Red Sea ended on Saturday and will be temporarily relocated to the Mediterranean, rushed to the region in the days following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.

“The (Eisenhower carrier battle group) protected ships transiting the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb, and Gulf of Aden, rescued innocent sailors from unlawful attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis, and helped deter further aggression,” the Pentagon said in a statement on Saturday.

In addition to claiming to have attacked the Eisenhower, the Houthis also stated that they had attacked a merchant ship, the Transworld Navigator, in the Arabian Sea.

A statement from the Houthis said the Transworld Navigator was hit directly by a missile.

Later on Saturday, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that its forces had successfully destroyed three Iran-backed Houthi unmanned surface vessels (USVs) in the Red Sea in the past 24 hours.

“These systems were determined to pose an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and commercial vessels in the region. This action was taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S., coalition, and commercial vessels,” the statement said.

Separately, CETNCOM said, the Iran-backed Houthis fired three anti-ship missiles (ASBMs) from a Houthis-controlled area in Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. No injuries or significant damage were reported to U.S., coalition or merchant vessels, the statement said.

“This ongoing malicious and reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and puts the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden at risk. The Houthis claim to act on behalf of the Palestinians in Gaza, yet they have threatened and taken the lives of innocent civilians despite having nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. CENTCOM will continue to work with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities,” the US military said.

The Houthis, allied with Iran, have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea since November. They claim that the attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinian Arabs in the Gaza Strip.

Following the increase in Houthi attacks, the US a coalition formedwhich more than 20 countries belong, is intended to protect trade in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.

In mid-January, with the support of other countries, the USA and Great Britain Almost 30 Houthi sites in the sights with 150 different weapons. Since then, they have carried out several rounds of attacks against Houthi targets.

The Houthis were unimpressed by the attacks and declared that the campaign against the “Zionist enemy” would continue and that the attacks on American and British ships would not stop.

Last Wednesday, Al Jazeera TV published footage shows an attack by the Houthis in the Red Sea on the ship MV Tutor about a week ago, in which two bomb boats were used.

The Houthis claimed the ship was attacked because its owner ignored warnings not to enter Israeli ports.

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