Red Sea tensions persist as Houthis announce attacks on US carrier strike group

The Houthis announced that they targeted the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, casting uncertainty over the Yemen-based group’s commitment to halting Red Sea attacks after a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, Caliber.Az reports referring to foreign media.

Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi suggested in a January 16 speech that the group might suspend its operations in the Red Sea, stating they would monitor the ceasefire, set to begin on Sunday, January 19.

However, he warned that attacks would resume if Israel violated the truce.

Despite these remarks, Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Sare’e claimed on January 17 that the group had launched missile strikes on Israel and drone attacks targeting the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. This statement came during a televised address, according to translations of his speech.

The US Central Command has not yet responded to the claims of an attack on the carrier strike group. So far, none of the Houthis' reported attempts — this being the seventh — have caused damage to the US formation.

The truce's first phase begins Sunday, but al-Houthi warned that continued Israeli military operations in Gaza would prompt further action by his forces. Reports have indicated that Israeli bombing campaigns in Gaza persist in the days leading up to the ceasefire.

The Houthis initially entered the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 19, 2023, launching missiles toward Israel. The USS Carney (DDG-64), positioned after transiting the Suez Canal, intercepted cruise missiles and drones launched by the group.

Since their involvement, the Houthis claim to have employed 1,255 ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles, as well as drones and small boats, in operations against Red Sea shipping and Israel, according to al-Houthi.

By Tamilla Hasanova