Houthis claim 2nd attack on USS Harry Truman, vow to block Israeli ships
Shafaq News/ Yemen's Ansarallah (Houthis) announced, on Monday, that they targeted, for the second time in 24 hours, the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea with ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.
Yahya Saree, Ansarallah’s military spokesperson, stated, “In retaliation to the continued American aggression against our country, the Yemeni armed forces succeeded in thwarting a hostile attack the enemy [the US] was preparing to launch,” adding that “its warplanes were forced to return from their launching point after launching several missiles and drones at the aircraft carrier and several of its warships.”
“The Armed Forces affirm that they will continue to ban the passage of Israeli ships through the zone of operations until the blockade on the Gaza Strip is lifted,” Saree concluded.
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن استهداف حاملة الطائرات الأمريكية "يو أس أس هاري ترومان" وعدد من القطع التابعة لها للمرة الثانية خلال "24 ساعة" ردا على العدوان الأمريكي على بلدنا - 17 مارس 2025م pic.twitter.com/diqPOFKcjR
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) March 17, 2025
Earlier, Ansarallah leader Abdulmalik Badr Al-Din Al-Houthi delivered a speech emphasizing Yemen’s readiness to respond to US and Israeli actions in the region. He condemned recent US airstrikes in Yemen, accusing the US of aggression against the Yemeni people, and reaffirmed Yemen's alignment with the "Axis of Resistance."
Al-Houthi expressed solidarity with Palestine and warned of escalating military actions—including missile and drone strikes—if the US directly intervenes in Palestine, reiterating Yemen’s commitment to support the Palestinian cause and resist what he described as Israeli and American oppression.
Meanwhile, an American official told Reuters that US F-16 and F-18 fighter jets shot down 11 drones launched by the Houthis on Sunday, following the group’s earlier claim of attacking an American carrier off Yemen’s coast. The official, who requested anonymity, said the drones did not approach USS Harry Truman—a vessel that has played a central role in US strikes on Yemen since President Donald Trump took office.
The official also noted that US forces detected an attempted missile launch by the Houthis aimed to fall into the waters off Yemen’s coast; however, no action was taken, as it was not considered a threat.
Yemen’s Health Ministry reported that US strikes against the Houthis in Yemen have resulted in 53 fatalities.
