Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis claimed its third attack on United States’ warships in 48 hours, according to media reports.
The Houthis said on Telegram they had targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group with missiles and drones, making the attack the “third in the past 48 hours” in the northern Red Sea, reported The Times of Israel.
US Targets Houthis
Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, director for operations for the Joint Staff, said that, under the president’s direction, U.S. Central Command began precision strike operations against the Houthis to restore freedom of navigation and American deterrence, reported US Department of Defense website.
“The initial wave of strikes hit over 30 targets at multiple locations, degrading a variety of Houthi capabilities,” he said.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell on Monday during his public briefing that the U.S. Central Command, at the direction of President Donald J. Trump, launched a series of attacks at key terrorist Houthi targets in Yemen, on March 15.
“Over the weekend, U.S. Central Command forces initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to restore freedom of navigation and re-establish American deterrence,” Parnell was quoted as saying by the website.
Yemen’s Houthis, he said, have been targeting United States’ warships and military aircraft as well as commercial ships and the ships of other nations.
“They threaten our personnel overseas,” he said. “Houthi terrorists have launched missiles and one-way attack drones at U.S. warships over 170 times and at commercial vessels 145 times since 2003.”
The U.S., Parnell said, will continue to use “overwhelming, lethal force” against the terrorist Houthi targets until the U.S. achieves its goals.
“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,” he said.
Trump Warns Iran
Trump said Iran will suffer ‘dire consequences’ if Houthis conduct further attacks.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump said: “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”
(With inputs from IBNS)
