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On May 31 and June 1, 2024, Yemen's Iran-backed Ansar Allah movement (the Houthis) claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, stationed in the Red Sea, in retaliation for "American-British aggression" consisting of multiple airstrikes in Houthi territory.[1] There was no official U.S. response confirming or denying the claims that the aircraft carrier had been hit, but on both dates the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that multiple Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) and Anti-Ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBM) launched from Houthi-controlled areas had crashed or been downed by CENTCOM "with no injuries or damage reported by U.S., coalition, or commercial ships."[2]
This marks the first time the Houthis have claimed responsibility for targeting a U.S. aircraft carrier, although the group has threatened such attacks since November 2023, soon after it began its operations against Israeli ships in the Red Sea.[3]
On June 2, Abdullah Bin Amer, deputy director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Houthi armed forces, published a post on his X account encouraging other countries to perpetrate similar attacks. Bin Amer wrote: "All America's international enemies and rivals can now add American aircraft carriers to their agendas as legitimate targets, in the event that the U.S. commits aggression against them. They can write in their memoirs that they made this decision after Yemen targeted Eisenhower twice in 24 hours, and consequently they can do the same."[4]
On the same day, Houthi Deputy Information Minister Nasreddin Amer posted the following on his X account: "The Eisenhower and America are under the feet of the Yemeni people, which is great, strong, and believes and trusts in Allah. The blood of one Yemeni is more precious to us than the world and all it contains, and whoever sheds it must prepare to pay the price. The same applies to Palestinian blood, as our blood is one and we are one Arab Muslim ummah [nation]."[5]
[1] See MEMRI JTTM Reports: Houthi Ansar Allah Movement Claims Missile Attack Against U.S. Aircraft Carrier in Red Sea, May 31, 2024; and Houthi Ansar Allah Movement Claims Second Attack In 24 Hours Against U.S. Aircraft Carrier USS Eisenhower, As Well As Attacks Against An American Destroyer And Commercial Ships That Violated The "Ban" On Entering The Ports Of "Occupied Palestine", June 2, 2024.
[2] Twitter.com/CENTCOM, June 1, 2024; Twitter.com/CENTCOM, June 2, 2024.
[3] See MEMRI Reports: Houthi Ansar Allah's Supreme Political Council Chairman: 'No American Escalation Will Divert Us From Our Principled Positions Regarding Palestine; Every Step That Harms The Interests Of Our People Will Be Considered A Declaration Of War', November 30, 2023; and Pro-Hizbullah Lebanese Daily Claims Yemen's Ansar Allah Movement (Houthi) Attacks In Mediterranean Sea 'Looming,' Deployment Of U.S. Aircraft Carrier 'New Opportunity' For Movement To Deal 'Humbling Blows' To U.S. Naval Forces, May 8, 2024.
[4] X, June 2, 2024.
[5] X, June 2, 2024.
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