WASHINGTON: The United States is increasing the number of aircraft carriers stationed in the Middle East to two, the Pentagon has said.
The announcement follows a series of near-daily airstrikes by US forces targeting Yemen’s Houthi militia, part of an ongoing campaign aimed at neutralising the threat they pose to civilian shipping and military vessels in the region.
The USS Carl Vinson will join the USS Harry S. Truman in the Middle East “to support regional stability, deter aggression, and safeguard the free flow of commerce in the area,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement.
The Carl Vinson will join the Harry S. Truman in the Middle East “to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement.
“To complement the CENTCOM maritime posture, the secretary also ordered the deployment of additional squadrons and other air assets that will further reinforce our defensive air-support capabilities,” Parnell said, referring to the US military command responsible for the region.
“The United States and its partners remain committed to regional security in the CENTCOM (area of responsibility) and are prepared to respond to any state or non-state actor seeking to broaden or escalate conflict in the region,” he added.
The Houthis started targeting shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden after the start of the Gaza war in 2023, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
Houthi attacks have disrupted the passage of ships through the Suez Canal, a crucial route that typically handles around 12 percent of global shipping traffic. These ongoing assaults are forcing many companies to take a costly detour around the southern tip of Africa.
One day prior to the carrier announcement, US President Donald Trump said that strikes on Yemen’s Houthi militia would persist until they no longer pose a threat to shipping.
“The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
He has also ramped up rhetoric toward Tehran, with the president threatening that “there will be bombing” if Iran does not reach a deal on its nuclear program.
Four kills in US strikes
Four people have been killed in US attacks on Yemen’s Hodeidah region, marking the latest deadly strikes against Houthi forces.
“The American attack, which targeted the water management building in the district of al-Mansouriyah in the governorate of Hodeidah with several strikes on Tuesday resulted in three deaths and two injuries, mostly employees,” Alasbahi said.
More than 60 people have been killed in Yemen since Washington launched a military offensive on March 15 against Houthi forces. The Yemeni armed group had threatened to renew attacking Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s breaking of the ceasefire in Gaza.
