<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-inner-article-top"><h1 class="gmail-">Yemen strikes back, targeting the USS Eisenhower</h1><p class="gmail-">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.</p><div class="gmail-another-name"><p><a href="https://thecradle.co/authors/khalil-nasrallah" style="color:rgb(164,4,4)">Khalil Nasrallah</a> - <font size="1"><a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/yemen-strikes-back-targeting-the-uss-eisenhower">https://thecradle.co/articles/yemen-strikes-back-targeting-the-uss-eisenhower</a></font></p></div><div class="gmail-another-name" style="margin-top:16px"><p><span>JUN 3, 2024</span></p></div></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-img"><img src="http://thecradle-main.oss-eu-central-1.aliyuncs.com/public/articles/3cef886c-21c2-11ef-9faf-00163e02c055.jpeg" alt="" width="438" height="207" style="margin-right: 0px;"><span>(Photo Credit: The Cradle)</span></div><div class="gmail-inner-article-content"><div class="gmail-row"><div class="gmail-col-md-8 gmail-col-sm-7"><div class="gmail-article-content"><span><p>On 1 June, the Ansarallah-aligned Yemeni Armed Forces displayed remarkable boldness by targeting the US aircraft carrier <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/25198">Eisenhower</a> 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. </p><p>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.</p><p><strong>Swift response from Sanaa </strong></p><p>On
Friday, 30 May, hours after Yemeni military spokesman Brigadier General
Yahya Saree announced a series of military operations as part of the <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24772">fourth phase of escalation</a>, Ansarallah downed a $30 million American <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/25161">MQ-9 drone</a>, the sixth during the “Al-Fateh Al-Mubin” operation. </p><p>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, <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles/dozens-of-casualties-in-yemen-following-intense-us-uk-air-raids">the heaviest</a> since the US–UK attacks began on 12 January of this year, killed 16 Yemenis and injured 41 others, both military and civilian.</p><p>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 <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24772">extend</a>
their target bank into the Mediterranean Sea, the Yemenis quickly and
unexpectedly targeted the USS Eisenhower, stationed in the northern Red
Sea. </p><p>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.</p><p><strong>Significance of the Eisenhower</strong></p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><p><strong>The US in denial </strong></p><p>Following
the Yemeni military’s announcement confirming the targeting of
Eisenhower, the US initially downplayed the event, refraining from
commenting. However, Saudi outlet <a href="https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2024/05/31/yemen-s-houthis-say-they-launched-missile-attack-on-us-aircraft-carrier-eisenhower"><i>Al Arabiya</i></a><i>,</i> citing a US defense official, reported that the claims by “the Iranian-backed group” were false.</p><p>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.</p><p>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 <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/18525">vowed</a> to respond, stressing that the aggression “will not go unpunished.”</p><p>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 <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24003">unfolded in stages</a>, indicating that Yemen’s armed forces were carefully refining their strategy.</p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p><strong>Yemeni boldness and US future calculations</strong></p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>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 <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/24357">establishing itself as a regional player</a> that cannot be ignored, positioning itself among the leading countries and forces of West Asia’s Axis of Resistance. </p><p>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. </p><p>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.</p><p>However, Yemen’s actions over the past year have turned normalization with Tel Aviv into a <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/15999">costly endeavor</a>, as Arab allies in the region are <a href="https://thecradle.co/articles-id/16790">divided</a> on how to approach the situation in Yemen.</p></span></div></div></div></div>
</div>