The Iran-backed Houthi militia based in Yemen has claimed a new attack on the American aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered strikes against them.
The United States has not reported any damage and U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich, said the claims were “hard to confirm.”
Newsweek has reached out to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and Houthi officials for comment.
Why It Matters
Conflict in the Red Sea region can disrupt one of the world’s most important shipping routes, potentially pushing up the prices of goods. The United States has said it aims to defend freedom of navigation through its strikes on the Houthis, who had threatened attacks on Israeli-linked shipping to pressure Israel over its blockade of the Gaza Strip in its war with Hamas.
Also known as Ansar Allah, the Houthis, a faction within Iran’s broader Axis of Resistance coalition, have also fired missiles and drones against U.S. ally Israel.
What To Know
Ansar Allah’s military spokesperson said on Tuesday that the group targeted the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea with cruise missiles and drones, in the third attack on the aircraft carrier in the past few days.
While the group said the operation resulted in U.S. warships “retreating to the northern Red Sea,” Grynkewich questioned that.
“Quite frankly, it’s hard to tell because while we’re executing precision strikes, they missed by over 100 miles,” he said on Monday.
U.S. forces continued attacks on the Houthis.
Grynkewich said U.S. strikes hit nearly 30 Houthi targets including “terrorist training sites,” unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure, as well as weapons manufacturing capabilities and weapons storage facilities.
Accusing Iran of maintaining complete control over Ansar Allah, Trump warned Tehran it would be “held responsible and face severe consequences” for any further attacks by the group, which he said, “will be met with great force.”
Tens of thousands of people rallied in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, and other cities chanting “Death to America, death to Israel,” in response to calls for protests by Ansar Allah’s leadership.
A source within Ansar Allah also told Newsweek earlier that the group would react decisively to any U.S. strikes against the group or Iran.
CENTCOM forces continue strikes against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists… pic.twitter.com/Ao5FD7mDHW
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 17, 2025
What People Are Saying
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell: “There is a very clear end-state to this operation, and that begins the moment that the Houthis pledge to stop attacking our ships and putting American lives at risk.”
Ansar Allah Leader Abdul-Malek al-Houthi: “We say to Trump: No matter how much you boast, no matter how powerful you think you are, God’s might is greater than yours. We bow to no one, we fear no one, because our path is the right and legitimate path — the path the entire world should follow.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on X: “The nation of Yemen is definitely victorious. The only path is that of resistance. That which has caused the US and its allies to panic today is the fact that the Muslim nations are standing firmly and that this resistance will prove to be effective.”
What Happens Next
The clash between the U.S. and the Houthis is another facet of the escalating conflict in the Middle East which ultimately pits Iran and its proxies against the United States and Israel. With a ceasefire breakdown in Gaza too, conflict can be expected to worsen.
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