Shibh Aljazeera Net | Red Sea
The U.S. military has confirmed that two American destroyers were attacked by Sanaa forces in the Red Sea, while choosing not to comment on reports of an alleged attack on the aircraft carrier “Abraham Lincoln.” This silence has raised questions regarding the credibility of U.S. statements, especially in light of a previous incident in which the Pentagon initially denied an attack on the “USS Eisenhower” aircraft carrier, only to later acknowledge it had indeed been targeted.
Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder stated on Tuesday evening that the destroyers “USS Spruance” and “USS Stockdale” were attacked with “eight armed drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles, and three cruise missiles,” adding that U.S. forces had “successfully intercepted the threats.”
Ryder noted that the attack occurred while the two destroyers were transiting through the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Earlier, Sanaa forces had announced they had targeted two American destroyers in the Red Sea using several ballistic missiles and drones.
According to a report published by “USNI News,” which is affiliated with the U.S. Naval Institute, this incident marks the second attack on these two destroyers by Sanaa forces, following a similar attack in late September. The report stated that the destroyers had been operating independently as part of “Operation Sentinel” before being attached to the “Abraham Lincoln” carrier strike group this past Monday.
While Sanaa forces have confirmed that they targeted the “Abraham Lincoln” carrier stationed in the Arabian Sea with several cruise missiles and drones, claiming they had “successfully hit their targets,” the Pentagon did not comment on this alleged attack. Ryder simply stated he had “no information regarding that.”
Nevertheless, several indicators suggest the likelihood of this attack, particularly its timing, as the carrier had recently approached Sanaa-controlled areas in the Gulf of Aden. Open-source tracking data indicated that the carrier was approximately 650 kilometers from Sanaa’s areas of control, adding credibility to Sanaa’s claims of targeting it.
The U.S. military had previously denied similar attacks on the “USS Eisenhower” in June, which Sanaa forces claimed to have carried out. Later, the former commander of the “Eisenhower” strike group, Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, acknowledged repositioning the carrier multiple times to avoid Sanaa’s attacks. Recently, CTC Sentinel, a publication by the U.S. Counter-Terrorism Center, revealed that a missile launched by Sanaa forces in June came within 200 meters of striking the “Eisenhower.” Michael Knights, an analyst at the Washington Institute, remarked, “The Houthis’ capabilities in broad surveillance, close target tracking, and terminal guidance allowed them to achieve notable successes, such as apparently targeting an American aircraft carrier.”