11 months ago
60
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels say they have attacked the US aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower in the Red Sea.
The incident comes shortly after US officials, quoted by Sky News Arabia, said the carrier was deployed to the region to assist Israel in case of a full-blown war against Iran-backed Hezbollah of Lebanon.
Earlier, a report by the US Naval Institute's news service cited an anonymous official stating that the Eisenhower is set to return to Norfolk, Virginia, after leaving the Red Sea.
The Houthis' attack on the Eisenhower followed reports by Houthi-affiliated media of four US-British airstrikes targeting the Tehran-backed group's positions in western Yemen, intensifying the conflict.
The Houthis have increased their maritime assaults, including the recent sinking of the ship Tutor, marking a new phase in their strategy against international shipping routes since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
The attacks began after Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called on Muslim nations in early November to blockade Israeli trade in the wake of the Gaza war.
The Houthis claim over 60 targeted attacks on vessels and numerous other missile and drone launches since November, leading to the deaths of four sailors and the capture or sinking of several ships.
Despite Houthi claims of targeting vessels connected to Israel, the US, or Britain, many of the attacked ships reportedly have minimal or no links to the Israel-Hamas war. In response, a US-led airstrike campaign has been targeting Houthi positions since January.
