SANAA, March 18 — Yemen’s Houthis today claimed their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, despite US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels that have sparked mass protests organised by the group.
The rebels also condemned Israel’s wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed at least 330 people, vowing to escalate their own operations in support of ally Hamas.
The Houthis had targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Gaza war and until a January ceasefire, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
But last week, they threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the battering Palestinian territory, triggering US backlash and tit-for-tat retaliation.
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.
A US defence official said the Huthis “continue to communicate lies and disinformation,” adding the Iran-backed group is “well known for false claims minimising the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs”.
US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was “hard to confirm” the attacks claimed by the Huthis as the rebels were missing their targets “by over 100 miles” (160 kilometres).
No Houthis ‘without Iran’
Houthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and the capital Sanaa early today—after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting “Death to America, death to Israel!” in Sanaa.
There were also large crowds in Saada, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida and Amran.
The protests came after Washington launched a fresh campaign of air strikes on Yemen beginning Saturday, aiming to pressure the Houthis into ending their attacks on Red Sea shipping.
The US strikes killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday, according to the Houthi-run health ministry.
Washington has vowed to keep hitting Yemen until the Houthis stop attacking shipping, with US President Donald Trump warning he will hold Iran accountable for any further attacks carried out by the Tehran-backed group.
“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,” Trump posted on social media.
Iran called his statement “belligerent”.
In a televised interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Huthis do “not exist” without Iran.
“Without Iran, there is no Houthi threat of this magnitude,” he said.
“They created this Frankenstein monster, and now they got to own it.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had “no authority” to dictate Tehran’s foreign policy.
‘Hell will rain down’
Just two days ago, the Houthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels’ leadership.
They were the first US strikes since Trump returned to office in January.
US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday’s strikes “targeted multiple Huthi leaders and took them out”. The Huthis have not responded to Waltz’s claim.
The Pentagon said on Monday it had struck 30 targets in its ongoing campaign in Yemen.
The United Nations urged both sides to “cease all military activity”, while expressing concern over Huthi threats to resume their Red Sea attacks.
Before this weekend’s targeting of the US carrier group, the Huthis had not claimed any attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when the ceasefire in Gaza began.
Trump has warned the Yemeni group that “hell will rain down upon you” if it does not stop its attacks.
Costly detour
While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12 percent of world shipping traffic, Houthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa.
A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, showed more than 130 Houthi attacks against warships, commercial vessels and Israeli and other targets since October 19, 2023.
The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Huthi targets under president Joe Biden.
Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Houthi missile fire towards Israeli territory.
The rebels control large swathes of Yemen after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa.
They have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the government since 2015, a conflict that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis.
Fighting has largely been on hold since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the peace process has stalled since the Houthis began their attacks. — AFP
