[News] Yemen strikes back, targeting the USS Eisenhower

[Anti-Imperialist News]

 Yemen strikes back, targeting the USS Eisenhower

The Ansarallah-aligned Yemeni Armed Forces has raised the Red Sea stakes by
targeting the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower – twice in 24 hours. The bold
move demonstrates a strategic project to expose growing US military
vulnerability in West Asia.

Khalil Nasrallah <https://thecradle.co/authors/khalil-nasrallah> -
https://thecradle.co/articles/yemen-strikes-back-targeting-the-uss-eisenhower

JUN 3, 2024
(Photo Credit: The Cradle)

On 1 June, the Ansarallah-aligned Yemeni Armed Forces displayed remarkable
boldness by targeting the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/25198> in the Red Sea twice within 24
hours. This move, in response to joint US–UK strikes on the country, marks
a significant escalation in the Yemeni theater within the broader regional
conflict centered on Gaza.

Throughout the past period, Sanaa has consistently targeted battleships and
destroyers with missiles and drones. Yet the strike on Eisenhower signifies
a qualitative leap in the confrontation, regardless of whether the US
acknowledges the hit.

*Swift response from Sanaa *

On Friday, 30 May, hours after Yemeni military spokesman Brigadier General
Yahya Saree announced a series of military operations as part of the fourth
phase of escalation <https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24772>, Ansarallah
downed a $30 million American MQ-9 drone
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/25161>, the sixth during the “Al-Fateh
Al-Mubin” operation.

In retaliation, the US launched a series of airstrikes at dawn, targeting
civilian facilities in the capital city of Sanaa, as well as the
governorates of Hodeidah and Taiz. These strikes, the heaviest
<https://thecradle.co/articles/dozens-of-casualties-in-yemen-following-intense-us-uk-air-raids>
since the US–UK attacks began on 12 January of this year, killed 16 Yemenis
and injured 41 others, both military and civilian.

The magnitude of the airstrikes and the resulting casualties prompted a
swift and hard response from Sanaa. As part of the war’s fourth phase of
escalation to support the Palestinian resistance and extend
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24772> their target bank into the
Mediterranean Sea, the Yemenis quickly and unexpectedly targeted the USS
Eisenhower, stationed in the northern Red Sea.

The aircraft carrier, which serves as a launchpad for aggressions on Yemen
and provides support for Israel’s war on Gaza, was hit again within a space
of 24 hours. Additionally, a destroyer was targeted with several missiles
and drones, confirming further hits.

*Significance of the Eisenhower*

Commissioned in 1977, the USS Eisenhower cost around $5.3 billion (adjusted
for inflation) to build. It weighs 114,000 tons, measures 332.8 meters in
length, and is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

The naval vessel serves as a mobile airbase and a formidable arm of the US
Air Force, tasked with carrying out offensive operations in West Asia.

Onboard are approximately 90 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters and five
thousand personnel, including pilots and sailors who operate and maintain
an integrated hospital. The carrier is accompanied by several ships,
including the Philippines Sea guided-missile cruiser and the guided-missile
destroyers Graffley and Mason.

The Yemenis have broadened their strategic objectives, targeting a variety
of sources of attacks both at sea and on land, not just commercial vessels
and warships. This suggests their plan to target aircraft carriers was a
deliberate one, with execution depending on the intensity of the aggression
against their country.

The striking of the Eisenhower bears significant implications. Sanaa is
undeterred by the increasing level of targets it can engage, showcasing a
willingness to take bold actions without hesitation. It demonstrates the
audacity to strike targets Washington considers red lines, including
aircraft carriers and potentially land-based sites and bases in future
stages.

*The US in denial *

Following the Yemeni military’s announcement confirming the targeting of
Eisenhower, the US initially downplayed the event, refraining from
commenting. However, Saudi outlet *Al Arabiya*
<https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2024/05/31/yemen-s-houthis-say-they-launched-missile-attack-on-us-aircraft-carrier-eisenhower>
*,* citing a US defense official, reported that the claims by “the
Iranian-backed group” were false.

Nevertheless, the lack of direct, official, sourced US comment, even as a
denial, is in itself an indication of the targeting regardless of whether
the carrier was damaged or not.

On 1 January, the US opened fire on several boats belonging to the Yemeni
navy, resulting in the death of ten sailors. This incident was followed on
12 January by the first wave of raids on Yemen. On that day, the Yemeni
Armed Forces vowed <https://thecradle.co/articles-id/18525> to respond,
stressing that the aggression “will not go unpunished.”

Sanaa gradually began striking US and British ships in the region,
eventually targeting battleships and destroyers according to its
capabilities. The responses were not immediate but unfolded in stages
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24003>, indicating that Yemen’s armed
forces were carefully refining their strategy.

In its latest response, shortly after a series of raids on different areas
of Yemen and the subsequent loss of lives, the Yemenis retaliated promptly
with winged and ballistic missiles targeting the Eisenhower aircraft
carrier.

This response was significant in two ways: the magnitude of the target – an
aircraft carrier – and the speed and repetition of the response. This
suggests that future aggressions may trigger even more surprising
retaliations, similar to the swift action taken at dawn on Friday.

*Yemeni boldness and US future calculations*

Although the daring move by the Yemeni Armed Forces may surprise some, it
is worth noting that the boldness demonstrated by Yemen since its decision
to support the Palestinian resistance following Israel’s declaration of war
on Gaza indicates that nothing can be ruled out by Sanaa’s decision-makers.

Consequently, US calculations must account for this unpredictability in any
future hostile steps toward Yemen, whether in the context of Israel’s war
on Gaza or the ongoing Saudi–Emirati war on Yemen. The goal remains to
restore sovereignty over all Yemeni territory by land and sea.

The targeting of the US aircraft carrier also sends high-level messages
about the future of the confrontation, indicating that there are no limits
to the scope and intensity of the Yemeni response. Sanaa is establishing
itself as a regional player <https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24357> that
cannot be ignored, positioning itself among the leading countries and
forces of West Asia’s Axis of Resistance.

The most critical aspect of this operation is its impact on US deterrence.
The strike undermines the perceived invincibility of US military power,
which could affect Washington’s interests, the presence of its forces in
the region, and its relations with allies.

The US fully recognizes the erosion of its deterrent power and understands
that losing it may have far-reaching consequences. In response, the
Americans seek to implement circumvention policies, such as building
regional alliances through normalization between Israel and Arab countries
and possibly fostering more conflicts.

However, Yemen’s actions over the past year have turned normalization with
Tel Aviv into a costly endeavor <https://thecradle.co/articles-id/15999>,
as Arab allies in the region are divided
<https://thecradle.co/articles-id/16790> on how to approach the situation
in Yemen.
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