Ending attacks on shipping vessels transiting the Red Sea remains a top priority for the White House.
The Iranian-backed Houthis continue to prove to be a headache for U.S. troops near the Red Sea. After “decisive” military action was taken against the Yemen-based terror group under the direction of U.S. president Donald Trump over the weekend, the Houthis launched retaliatory barrages targeting the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier in the northern Red Sea. The White House has pledged to continue striking the Houthis until they cease attacking Red Sea shipping, which has only elevated since Hamas’ October 7, 2023, massacre against Israel. Since roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne-traded crude oil flows through the critical waterways often under bombardment by the Houthis, ending attacks on shipping vessels remains a top priority for the White House. Tehran’s ability to disrupt the global economy via the actions of its Yemen-based proxy group will no longer be accepted, according to Trump’s recent warnings published on social media.
According to reports, the Houthis launched eleven unmanned aerial vehicles and one ballistic missile toward the USS Harry Truman and its supporting ships. While the missile landed in the water and was not on a trajectory to threaten any of the American vessels, the Houthis claimed to have fired eighteen missiles directly toward the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Over the summer, the Houthis alleged a previous “direct hit” on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of the group’s disinformation campaign. While the Iranian-backed group has not inflicted damage on any American warship to date, the Houthis continued strikes targeting international warships and shipping vessels alike.
Introducing USS Harry S. Truman Aircraft Carrier
The Navy’s USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) made headlines last month when it collided with a merchant vessel while operating in the Mediterranean Sea. Clearly, any damage inflicted by the incident has been remedied as the Nimitz-class carrier is currently playing a key role in thwarting future Houthi-launched barrages. As the eighth warship to commission as part of the service’s Nimitz dynasty, Truman is packed =with some of the most advanced technologies and ordnance available. This nuclear-powered carrier, like its sister ships, can carry 90 percent more aviation fuel and double the ordnance of its preceding carrier classes. In terms of size, the Nimitz carriers are some of the largest of their kind to ever sail the seas. These massive vessels displace roughly 97,000 tons and are run by 5,000 sailors and Marines. A range of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft including the F/A-18 Super Hornet and MH-60 Seahawk platforms can launch from the Nimitz.
As Iran’s regional proxy groups, including the Houthis, continue to terrorize the Red Sea and the critical waterways the world economy relies on, confronting these militants and thwarting future attacks will remain a priority for the Trump administration. The Nimitz-class carriers and their eventual Ford-class successors will undoubtedly lead any related missions directed by the United States Central Command.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, National Security Writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Carlin has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues.
Image: DVIDS.
