Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on Monday to have twice attacked an American aircraft carrier group within 24 hours, calling it retaliation for deadly US strikes.
The Houthis initially said they launched 18 missiles and a drone at the “aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its accompanying warships” in the Red Sea, before hours later claiming to have fired a second round.
There was no immediate comment from the United States about the Houthis’ claimed attacks.
In a statement posted to Telegram on Monday, a Houthi spokesperson said the attacks on the carrier group were “in retaliation to the continued American aggression against our country.”
Washington has vowed to keep striking Yemen until the rebels stop attacking Red Sea shipping, with President Donald Trump warning he will use “overwhelming lethal force.”
The Houthi health ministry said women and children were among the 53 people killed and 98 wounded in US strikes on Saturday.
Houthi media reported more explosions on Sunday night, accusing the Americans of targeting a cotton ginning factory in the western region of Hodeida as well as the Galaxy Leader, an Israeli ship captured more than a year ago.
Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi called on Yemenis to march on Monday in defiance.
In response to the latest escalation along the maritime trade route, the United Nations has urged both sides to “cease all military activity.”
The Iran-backed Houthis, who control much of the Arabian Peninsula’s poorest country, have attacked Israel and Red Sea shipping throughout the Gaza war, claiming to be acting in solidarity with Palestinians.
Before this weekend’s targeting of the US carrier group, the Houthis had not claimed attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when a ceasefire began in the Gaza Strip.
The group said it relaunched its attacks over Israel’s halting of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and would “move to additional escalatory options” if “the American aggression against our country continues.”
‘Terrified’
Washington’s weekend strikes against the Houthis were the first since Trump’s return to the White House in January.
US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday’s strikes “targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.”
Trump meanwhile warned the Houthis that “hell will rain down upon you.”
In a social media post addressed to Iran, the US president demanded the Islamic Republic stop supporting “Houthi terrorists.”
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed a “large scale operation” against the Houthis, which it said on Sunday night was continuing.
Witnesses in Sanaa described experiencing a “horrific explosion” that shook houses and shattered windows.
Footage on Houthi media showed children, including a dazed girl with blackened legs wrapped in bandages, and a woman being treated in hospital.
The Houthis have sealed off areas around the blast sites, however, making it impossible to gauge the true scale of the destruction.
One father of two, who gave his name as Ahmed, told AFP: “I’ve been living in Sanaa for 10 years, hearing shelling throughout the war. By God, I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
“My family and I were terrified,” he added.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the deadly US strikes and said Washington had “no authority” to dictate Tehran’s foreign policy.
The Houthis’ political bureau said its “forces are fully prepared to confront escalation with escalation.”
‘Fully Prepared’
A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, shows 136 Houthi attacks against warships and commercial vessels, as well as Israeli and other targets since October 19, 2023.
While the Red Sea trade route normally carries about 12 percent of world shipping traffic, Houthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa.
The Palestinian group Hamas, which has praised Houthi support, branded the US strikes “a stark violation of international law and an assault on the country’s sovereignty and stability.”
The head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hossein Salami, said: “Iran will not wage war, but if anyone threatens, it will give appropriate, decisive and conclusive responses.”
The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Houthi targets.
Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Houthi missile fire towards Israeli territory.
Fighting in Yemen’s own war has largely been on hold since a 2022 ceasefire, but the promised peace process has stalled in the face of the Houthi attacks on shipping.
The war killed hundreds of thousands either directly or indirectly through causes such as disease, plunging Yemen into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
