Houthi forces launch dual strikes on US warships, near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport

The Houthis in Yemen have claimed responsibility for coordinated strikes against multiple military targets, including an unprecedented attack on the US aircraft carrier Carl Vinson, marking a significant escalation in tensions between the Yemeni group and the United States.

According to a statement released on April 18 by the political bureau of the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, their forces carried out two major attacks—one targeting a site near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport and another involving the American aircraft carriers Harry Truman and Carl Vinson, along with associated warships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Brigadier General Yahya Saria, spokesperson for the Houthi armed forces, announced that the strike near Israel was conducted using a Zulfikar ballistic missile.

“Missile forces, unmanned aerial vehicles and naval forces conducted a double military operation to attack the American aircraft carriers Harry Truman and Carl Vinson, as well as their warships in the Red and Arabian Seas,” the statement posted on the group’s official website read.

This marks the first reported attack on the Carl Vinson since its deployment to the Arabian Sea, signaling a significant broadening of the Houthis' military ambitions beyond the immediate Yemeni conflict zone.

The escalation follows a US strike on April 17, which destroyed the Houthi-controlled Ras Isa seaport, a facility the US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed was being used for maritime oil supply operations that benefitted the militant group economically.

According to CENTCOM, the port was being used by the Houthis “as a tool of control and to obtain economic benefits from the appropriation of profits from imports.”

The Houthi-run Ministry of Health reported at least 74 people killed and 171 wounded in the US attack on the port, raising alarm over the growing humanitarian toll of the ongoing conflict.

Earlier this month, Anadolu Agency reported that more than 100 civilians have died since US operations against the Houthis began, with 223 others injured. On March 15, US President Donald Trump confirmed that he had ordered military action against the group. CENTCOM later announced the launch of a large-scale operation in Yemen, intensifying US military involvement in the region.

The attacks and counterattacks are contributing to mounting regional instability and have drawn sharp international attention as fears of a wider conflict continue to grow.

By Vafa Guliyeva