Barran Press
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Friday, July 12, 2024, the arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Red Sea, replacing the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower as part of Washington's mission to protect maritime navigation and weaken the capabilities of the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, to attack ships.
In a statement published on X seen by Barran Press, CENTCOM stated, "The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group arrived in the US 5th Fleet area of operations on July 12." The statement added that the group's mission is to "deter aggression, enhance regional stability, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region."
The USS Theodore Roosevelt is a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier belonging to the US Navy, named after the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
On June 22, the US Navy announced the departure of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) from the Red Sea, coinciding with the deployment of the aircraft carrier currently in the Pacific to the Middle East to continue the US presence in the region.
A US Navy news website reported that flight trackers followed Eisenhower's C-2A Greyhound aircraft as it flew from the US 5th Fleet base in Bahrain to the Mediterranean Sea.
A US official stated, "The decision comes as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin opted against extending the deployment of the Navy's second-oldest aircraft carrier for a third time."
The official noted that the Eisenhower had been deployed for over eight months, longer than any other US-based aircraft carrier in the past five years, adding that "it was time to bring her home."
Earlier on Friday, Houthi media reported three US airstrikes targeting locations at the Hodeidah Airport south of the city, hours after reporting five airstrikes on locations in the coastal district of Al-Salif north of Hodeidah.
While the Houthi group did not mention the impact of these strikes, US forces reported on Friday morning that they had destroyed five unmanned boats and three drones in areas controlled by the Houthis.
CENTCOM stated in a statement published on X that its forces successfully destroyed five Houthi unmanned boats in the Red Sea, two drones over the Red Sea, and a third drone in an area controlled by the Iranian-backed group.
According to the US statement, these weapons "posed an imminent threat to the United States, coalition forces, and commercial vessels in the region, and action was taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer."
Since November 2023, the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, has continued its attacks using missiles and drones against commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.
The group's attacks have led to increased maritime insurance costs and prompted many international shipping companies to opt for the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.
To deter the Houthis and protect maritime navigation, the US formed a multinational coalition in December 2023, while US forces have been conducting strikes against Houthi military targets from time to time.
Since January 12, the number of US and British airstrikes against the Houthis on the ground has reached approximately 560, resulting in the deaths of 58 individuals and injuries to 86 others, according to the group's own admission.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government maintains that Western airstrikes are ineffective in neutralizing the Houthi threat to navigation and that the most effective solution is to support its armed forces in retaking Hodeidah and its ports, along with other areas controlled by the group.
Despite the group's continued claims of further maritime attacks, no serious incidents or injuries have been reported on ships except for three out of 162 ships that the group claimed to have targeted since last November.