Huthis claim new attack on American warships, report new US strikes

TDT | Manama
Email : editor@newsofbahrain.com

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for their third attack on American warships within 48 hours on Tuesday, despite U.S. airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed group, which have led to widespread protests.

In a statement on Telegram, the Houthis reported that they launched missiles and drones at the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group, marking the third attack in the northern Red Sea in just two days.

A U.S. defense official dismissed the Houthi claims, accusing the rebels of spreading "lies and disinformation." The official added that the group is notorious for downplaying the impact of U.S. strikes while overstating their own successes.

U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich noted that the attacks claimed by the Houthis were difficult to confirm, as the rebels were reportedly missing their targets by over 100 miles (160 kilometers).

Houthi media also reported new U.S. airstrikes on Yemen on Monday, following large protests in the capital, Sanaa. Demonstrators, many armed with rifles, daggers, or holding Korans, chanted slogans such as “Death to America, death to Israel!”

Protests were also seen in Saada, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, as well as in Dhamar, Hodeidah, and Amran, according to footage from the rebels' Al-Masirah TV station.

"We will never back down – we defy the Americans, we defy the Zionists," a man shouted to the crowd in Sanaa, which responded, "We are the men of the Prophet."

These demonstrations followed a series of U.S. airstrikes on Yemen that began on Saturday, part of an effort to pressure the Houthis to cease their attacks on Red Sea shipping. Since the start of the Gaza war, the Houthis have targeted vessels traveling through this major trade route, citing solidarity with Palestinians.

According to the Houthi-run health ministry, the U.S. strikes on Saturday killed 53 people and injured 98. The rebels' media outlets, including Al-Masirah and Saba, reported further airstrikes on Monday night in Hodeidah and Al-Salif, with additional strikes on Sanaa early Tuesday.

The U.S. has pledged to continue its airstrikes on Yemen until the Houthis halt their attacks on shipping, with President Donald Trump warning that any further actions by the Tehran-backed group would hold Iran accountable.

"Every shot fired by the Houthis will be seen as a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran, and Iran will be held responsible," Trump wrote on social media.