Following the Houthis' announcement of six attacks targeting the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower and the guided missile destroyer Gravely, claiming direct hits, the US Central Command denied these allegations. In a statement released on its X platform account today, it mentioned that it had destroyed a Houthi drone in the southern Red Sea yesterday evening. It also indicated that two other drones fell in the same area without causing injuries or damage. Furthermore, it stated that its forces destroyed two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched towards the USS Gravely, confirming that no damage or injuries were sustained.
This denial came after Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced last night that they "carried out six military operations, one of which targeted the aircraft carrier Eisenhower." In a statement via X, he claimed that the Houthis also targeted another US destroyer in the Red Sea, stating it was "hit directly by several drones" referring to the Gravely. He noted that "the other four operations targeted ships belonging to companies that violated the entry ban to Israeli ports, including the ship 'Maina,'" which was reportedly targeted in two operations in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
Since November 19, following more than a month of escalating conflict in Gaza, the Houthis have targeted over 100 vessels in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea with drones and missiles, according to the group's leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi in April, who claimed they were linked to Israel or heading to its ports. Meanwhile, the US Maritime Administration stated in late April that the Houthis launched over 50 attacks on ships, seized one vessel, and sank another since November of last year. These attacks have forced commercial shipping companies to take longer, more costly routes around Africa.
Additionally, one of these attacks resulted in the sinking of a cargo ship named "Rubymar," which was carrying hazardous materials. Another attack led to the deaths of three sailors due to missile strikes on the ship True Confidence, which was under the Barbadian flag and managed by Greece. These aggressions have heightened concerns that the war between Israel and Hamas might destabilize the Middle East, especially after Israel struck the Iranian embassy in Damascus in early April, to which Iran responded with over 300 drones and missiles towards Israeli territory, followed by Israeli strikes on military sites within Iran.
