Houthi Rebels Claim Missile Attack On US Nuclear-Powered Carrier; DoD Official Says This Is “False Info”

Update:

Politico’s Lara Seligman quotes an unnamed Department of Defense official who tells her the Houthi’s claim about a missile attack on the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea is “false information — there was no hit on the Ike or any attacks in its vicinity.” 

DOD official tells me this is false information — there was no hit on the Ike or any attacks in its vicinity. https://t.co/TiXgO6uaYE

— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) May 31, 2024

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Reuters and Al Jazeera reported that Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed on Friday that rebels launched a missile attack on the USS Harry S. Truman, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, in the Red Sea.

In a televised statement, Saree said the strike was in retaliation for a series of US-UK strikes in three Yemeni provinces that killed at least 16 people. 

Saree’s X account published this statement (translated into English): 

Statement by the Armed Forces regarding the operation to target the American aircraft carrier “Eisenhower” in response to the American-British aggression in support of the Zionist enemy, which caused 58 martyrs and wounded, to dissuade our dear people and the Armed Forces from their position of support for the oppressed Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.

After American airstrikes across Yemen killed 16 people last night, the Yemeni military under the Houthi-led government is claiming today to have targeted and directly struck the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower in the Red Sea. pic.twitter.com/nDjfBcqYcj

— Séamus Malekafzali (@Seamus_Malek) May 31, 2024

We recently pointed out how the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian has widely been a failure as Iran-backed Houthis continue targeting Western ships (an incident earlier this week) in the Red Sea with missiles and kamikaze drones. 

In response, earlier this month, the Pentagon sent the USS Harry S. Truman to the region to ensure stability in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

Also, this week, the sixth US MQ–9 Reaper drone was shot down over Yemen. 

This comes as containerized shipping costs are erupting again, following months of disruptions in the region. Yet another supply shock is unfolding… 

This story is developing.