The U.S. Navy has entered sustained combat operations in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations after U.S. President Donald Trump promised “overwhelming lethal force” against Iranian-backed forces threatening U.S. forces in the region. The campaign will involve multiple rounds of proactive strikes on various targets, not limited to the retaliatory strikes seen in past strikes on Houthi positions, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the start of an extended campaign in the Red Sea to dismantle the rebel group’s ability to target ships at sea in a press release from the U.S. State Department. According to Rubio, the effort to dismantle Houthi anti-ship systems could include the direct targeting of Iranian assets like the intelligence gathering ship MV Behshad used to provide accurate targeting information to shore-based Houthi missile batteries.
U.S. fighters launched from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) have struck dozens of targets across Houthi-controlled Yemen in the past 24 hours, ranging from command and control centers to transporter erector launchers (TELs) preparing to launch anti-ship ballistic missiles at U.S. and allied surface assets.
A Rapidly Developing Situation
President Trump issued an ultimatum to Houthi forces in a social media post yesterday afternoon, a first since the State Department declared the Houthi organization a Foreign Terrorist Group (FTO). The statement claimed that America would hold the Houthi rebel group fully accountable for any threat to international shipping.
The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective… …YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY.”
U.S. President Donald Trump in a statement posted to social media
Shortly after the statement was posted, several U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets from the USS Truman launched in support of these orders. The fighters carried out strikes on several Houthi positions in Yemen, targeting command and control centers, missile launchers, and leadership sites. The attack was supported by guided missile destroyers firing RGM-109 Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles.
A U.S. Central Command statement posted on X two hours after President Trump’s ultimatum announced that U.S. forces had successfully conducted precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen. At least 12 aircraft participated in the strikes that left 53 dead and 98 wounded.
Less than 24 hours later, the USS Truman was fired on by Houthi forces who launched at least 10 one-way attack drones (OWA-UAS) at the carrier, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter in comments to Fox News.
The Houthi campaign on shipping in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait has been ongoing for 18 months. Since 2023 there have been over 174 attempted engagements against U.S. Navy surface assets and 145 attempted engagements against commercial shipping. No attempt against a U.S. Navy target has been successful to date, but several commercial ships have been hit by drones and ballistic missiles, including the bulk carrier MV Tutor which sank last year after being hit by at least three missiles.
The U.S. Navy has been preparing for such an eventuality for months, prepositioning missiles and exercising with airborne minesweepers.
The situation in the Middle East is rapidly developing and additional assets are likely to be deployed to the region if hostilities continue. The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) carrier strike group is currently in COMPUTEX with plans for deployment by early summer, according to U.S. officials familiar with the matter. CENTCOM may request its presence in the region if needed.
