US Navy Pilots Downed in Red Sea Incident; Houthis Claim Attack as Tensions Escalate
Two US Navy pilots were forced to eject from their aircraft over the Red Sea on Sunday in what the US military says was not a result of hostile fire, Al Jazeera reports.
The incident, occurring shortly after the aircraft launched from the USS Harry S Truman, is under investigation. Both pilots were recovered alive, with one sustaining minor injuries, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The incident comes as Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for “targeting” the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman on Saturday, stating their operation led to the downing of an F-18 aircraft. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed in a video statement that the group also launched eight drones and 17 cruise missiles in the attack.
CENTCOM refuted the Houthi claims, stating that the pilots’ ejection “was not the result of hostile fire,” and emphasizing the ongoing investigation. They also noted that US warships and aircraft had previously intercepted and shot down several Houthi drones and an anti-ship cruise missile.
The Houthi attacks are part of an ongoing campaign targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The Houthis have repeatedly targeted Israel-linked vessels, disrupting critical global trade routes. They cite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which they describe as a genocide, as motivation for their actions.
Adding to the heightened tensions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to retaliate against the Houthis following a missile strike on Tel Aviv on Saturday. The strike, claimed by the Houthis as a ballistic missile attack, injured 16 people and displaced others.
Netanyahu, in a video statement, declared that Israel would target the Houthis, labeling them as the “last remaining arm of ‘Iran’s axis of evil’.” He pledged a response with “force, determination, and sophistication”. This strike on Tel Aviv was the second such Houthi attack on Israel this week and one of several since the war in Gaza erupted.
US and British forces have previously conducted strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen as a response to the group’s attacks on shipping. Israel has also previously retaliated against the Houthis, including targeting ports and energy infrastructure after prior attacks. The most recent Israeli airstrike was reported on Thursday in Sanaa.
