SANAA, Yemen — Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed on Monday to have twice attacked an American aircraft carrier group within 24 hours, calling it retaliation for deadly US strikes.

The Houthis initially said they launched 18 missiles and a drone at the “aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its accompanying warships” in the Red Sea, then hours later claimed to have fired a second round.

There was no immediate comment on the record from the United States about the Houthis’ claimed attacks.

According to a US official speaking on condition of anonymity, the Houthis did fire drones and at least one missile in the first claimed attack. The official said that beginning at about midnight Saturday-Sunday local time in Yemen, the Houthis fired 11 drones and at least one missile over about 12 hours. Ten of the drones were intercepted by US Air Force fighter jets and one was intercepted by a Navy F/A-18 fighter jet. The missile fell into the water far from the ship, and nothing came close to hitting either the carrier or the warships in its strike group.

In a statement posted to Telegram on Monday, a Houthi spokesperson said the attacks on the carrier group were “in retaliation to the continued American aggression against our country.”

Washington has vowed to keep striking Yemen until the rebels stop attacking Red Sea shipping, with US President Donald Trump warning he will use “overwhelming lethal force.”

The Houthi health ministry claimed women and children were among the 53 people killed and 98 wounded in US strikes on Saturday.

Houthi media reported more explosions on Sunday night, accusing the Americans of targeting a cotton ginning factory in the western region of Hodeida as well as the command cabin of the Galaxy Leader, an Israel-linked ship captured in November 2023.

The Bahamas-flagged, Japanese-operated Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which in turn is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham “Rami” Ungar.

The Houthis —........

© The Times of Israel