The U.S. Navy nearly lost the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea in July 2024 when a missile fired by Yemen’s Houthis passed just 200 meters from the ship, causing concern among U.S. commanders, according to an October issue of the monthly published by the Center for Counterterrorism (CTC Sentinel) at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
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“… A missile fired by… Houthi rebels in Yemen passed within 200 meters of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. The incident highlights the significant threat posed by the Houthis due to attacks on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea,” the report said.
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According to the authors of the publication, the incident highlights the vulnerability of modern US naval forces to attacks by rebel groups, and also gives rise to talk about their increased role in the world order. The vulnerability of the aircraft carrier, the so-called “symbol of American prestige,” to attacks from Houthi missiles and UAVs makes the military command fear whether the Navy is ready for a potential confrontation with China, since Washington’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific region is based on the use of this particular class of ships, the material states.
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The US and UK have been carrying out strikes on Houthi targets since mid-January, calling it a response to threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of Ansar Allah’s highest political council, called the attacks a terrorist barbarity.
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The ruling Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement in northern Yemen, which controls most of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, previously announced its support for Palestine and its intention to attack any ships associated with Israel, calling on other countries to recall their crews from them and not to approach them in the sea. At the same time, they stated that they do not interfere with freedom of navigation in the region and do not interfere with ships of other countries. Amid the attacks, some companies decided to suspend transportation through the Red Sea.
