Houthi forces claimed that the US plane suffered heavy damage during the attack
The severity of the fighting in the area has been highlighted by the allegation made by Houthi forces in Yemen that their drone assaults caused a U.S. fighter jet to plummet off the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.
After more than a month of bombings against the Houthis, the loss of the F-18 overboard was a setback for American troops. Although the Iranian-backed troops have not been blamed by the United States for the loss, naval experts have speculated that it could have occurred as the aircraft carrier was maneuvering to escape Houthi attacks.
The first significant military operation during President Donald Trump’s second term is the U.S. attack on the Houthis. Since they initiated assaults in the guise of sympathy with the Palestinians during the war in Gaza that erupted when Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, it seeks to eliminate the danger they provide to ships in the Red Sea.
“The Houthis claimed to have conducted a military action against the Truman that led to the “downing of an F-18 fighter jet,” military spokeswoman Yahya Saree said in the first remarks of the aircraft’s loss.
The ship “was pursued with missiles and drones to the far north of the Red Sea,” he said.
The U.S. Navy said that an inquiry was underway after an F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter plane went overboard into the Red Sea. Days before it lost the aircraft in what may have been an evasive maneuver, satellite footage showed the Truman making a fast turn in the ocean.
Following coordinated U.S.-UK precision airstrikes on the group’s base in Sanaa, Yemen’s Houthi fighters also claimed to have used drones to attack the USS Carl Vinson carrier and its escorting warships in the Arabian Sea.
“Message to Iran: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis,” said U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on X. We are well aware of your actions. We warned you, and you fully understand the capabilities of the U.S. Military. At the time and location of our choosing, you shall pay the CONSEQUENCE.”
Mohamed Ali al-Houthi of the Houthi-aligned Supreme Political Council on X: In order to bolster the spirits of Trump and the American Marines, who have felt defeated and powerless in the face of Yemen’s unwavering support for Gaza, the British launch an operation in Yemen. Additionally, he wants to relieve pressure on the US government, which is becoming more and more persuaded that the war in Yemen is pointless.
“What is needed to stem the tide is an international response, sparked by a thorough understanding of the threat that the Houthis pose not just in the Middle East, but globally, if the status quo is maintained,” wrote Ghada Soliman, Research Fellow at the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research (ICPVTR) in Middle East Institution Perspectives.
Threats from the United States to increase pressure and send a message to Iran during continuing nuclear negotiations might make the U.S.-Houthi confrontation worse.
