Houthis Claim Another "Victory" Over U.S. Carrier

The Iranian-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen claimed on Monday that it had launched an attack on the United States Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75). It is the most recent claim that it had carried out a strike on a U.S. carrier in the region.

"Our forces conducted a special operation targeting the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman with two cruise missiles and four drones in the northern Red Sea as the US enemy was preparing to launch a major aerial attack on our country. The operation led to the failure of the attack," Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement, as reported by Maritime Executive.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) did not respond to the comments made by the Tehran-supported group, but acknowledged it has worked with partner forces to conduct operations in Iraq and Syria from December 30, 2024, to January 6, 2025.

In a statement on Monday, CENTCOM announced that as part of the ongoing Defeat ISIS (D-ISIS) campaign, U.S. and "Iraqi forces conducted multiple strikes in the Hamrin mountains of Iraq, targeting known ISIS locations. The operations served to disrupt and degrade ISIS' ability to plan, organize, and conduct attacks against civilians in the region, as well as U.S. citizens, allies, and partners throughout the region and beyond."

According to the reports, an ISIS attack cell leader was captured in Syria.

Business as Usual for USS Harry S. Truman

The Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) has been operating in CENTCOM's area of responsibility since December 14. The warship departed Naval Air Station Norfolk in September of last year, and while it was announced it would be deployed to the Middle East, the HSTCSG first took part in joint NATO operations in the Arctic before heading to the Mediterranean and then transiting the Suez Canal.

The carrier is supported by Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 28, which includes the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64); and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109).

HSTCSG was last deployed to CENTCOM's area of responsibility in March 2020, but the U.S. Navy has continued to rotate its nuclear-powered supercarriers to the region since October 2023 – in response to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and to deter aggression from Iran and its regional proxies. The situation has gotten increasingly complex since the fall of the Syrian regime under Bashar al-Assad.

On High Alert

The U.S. Navy's warships remain on high alert while deployed to the region. None of the service's vessels have taken damage, but in October 2023, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) engaged in a 10-hour battle with Houthi militants, marking the most intense combat by a U.S. Navy vessel since World War II.

The intensity of the deployment has resulted in some mistakes being made. Last month, a U.S. Navy Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet was shot down in a "friendly fire incident" involving USS Gettysburg. The aircraft was preparing to land on the carrier, and another fighter recorded a near miss.

A War of the Words

In addition to countering Houthi missiles and drones, the U.S. Navy has had to counter an ongoing misinformation campaign directed by the group. It claimed it had shot down the F/A-18 Super Hornet last month, but also made repeated allegations that it had struck—and even seriously damaged—U.S. carriers.

In June, the Houthis announced it had successfully carried out a missile and drone strike that seriously damaged USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Red Sea. The group further declared victory after the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) departed the region and returned to the United States in November.

The Pentagon has attempted to counter the false narratives presented by the Houthis, but their claims are regularly reported as factual in the Middle East, and even more ominously, further abroad. While it is almost expected that Iranian state media would report on the Houthi claims, it should be noted that this week, Chinese media outlets, including the Xinhua News Agency, have also run stories that cited the media statements from the Houthis.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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