Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Year : 2, Issue: 29
AFP, Sanaa: Yemen’s Huthis yesterday said they carried out their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, after US President Donald Trump declared he will hold Iran directly responsible for any future attacks by the Tehran-backed rebels.
The rebels also condemned Israel’s wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed more than 400 people, vowing to escalate their own operations in support of ally Hamas.
The Huthis had targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Gaza war and until a January ceasefire, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
But last week, they threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the Palestinian territory, triggering the first US strikes on Yemen since President Donald Trump took office in January.
In their latest retaliation, the Huthis said on Telegram yesterday that they fired missiles and drones at the USS Harry S Truman, calling it the “third in the past 48 hours” on the fleet in the northern Red Sea.
A US defence official said the Huthis “continue to communicate lies and disinformation”, adding the Iran-backed group is “well known for false claims minimising the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs”.
US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was “hard to confirm” the attacks claimed by the Huthis as the rebels were missing their targets “by over 100 miles” (160 kilometres).
Huthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and Sanaa early Tuesday — hours after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting “Death to America, death to Israel!” in the capital.
