Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have launched a missile and drone attack against U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea on Sunday, March 16.
The attacks came a day after President Donald Trump ordered large-scale airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
The Houthis said they fired 18 ballistic missiles and a drone at the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier group in two separate attacks over 24 hours.
The group called the strike an effort to “thwart a hostile attack the enemy was preparing to launch against our country.”
However, a U.S. official said that none of the missiles or drones came close to hitting American vessels. According to the official, the Houthis launched 11 drones and one ballistic missile.
U.S. Air Force fighter jets intercepted 10 drones, while a Navy F/A-18 shot down one more. The missile fell into the water, far from U.S. naval forces.
The U.S. strikes on Saturday, March 15, were part of an ongoing effort to weaken the Houthis’ military capabilities after months of attacks on Red Sea shipping routes. The group has repeatedly targeted commercial and military vessels in the region, citing support for Palestinians in Gaza.
Trump vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis ceased their operations. In a social media post, he stated, “They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.”
The March 15 airstrikes targeted dozens of Houthi military sites, including missile launchers, radars and air defense systems. The Yemeni Health Ministry, controlled by the Houthis, reported 53 people killed and 98 injured.
