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The Pentagon has confirmed that two US aircraft carriers will be deployed to the Middle East as tensions between the US, Iran, and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen continue to escalate.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, last weekend the United States carried out a wave of airstrikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, part of an ongoing campaign to degrade the group’s ability to launch attacks on international shipping. US officials say the strikes are necessary to protect global trade routes and deter further aggression in the Red Sea, where the Houthis have launched over 150 drone and missile attacks since late 2023. The Houthis claim their actions are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war and insist they are targeting ships linked to Israel or its allies. In response, President Trump issued a warning that any future attacks on American or allied vessels would prompt the US to hold Iran directly responsible, citing Tehran’s role in supplying arms, intelligence, and financial support to the Houthi movement.
What’s going on now: The Pentagon confirmed that the US is deploying two aircraft carrier strike groups—the USS Harry S. Truman and the USS Carl Vinson—to the Middle East in an effort to reinforce military pressure on Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Originally scheduled to return to Norfolk, Virginia at the end of March, the USS Truman will now remain in the region for at least an additional month. Meanwhile, the USS Carl Vinson, which had been operating in the Indo-Pacific and conducting joint drills with Japanese and South Korean forces, will extend its deployment by three months and is expected to arrive in early April.
Each carrier strike group includes a carrier air wing, a guided-missile cruiser, and multiple destroyers, bringing the total number of ships involved to more than a dozen. Together, the Truman and Vinson strike groups will field a notable naval force, with each carrier capable of launching dozens of strike aircraft. Combined, the deployment involves more than 10,000 US Navy personnel.
This all comes as Iran has attempted to distance itself from direct responsibility for the Houthi attacks, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denying that Tehran controls the Yemeni rebel group. In a speech last Friday, Khamenei said, “The Yemeni nation has its own motivation and the resistance groups in the region have their own motivations. Iran doesn’t need proxies.” He also warned that Iran has “never started a confrontation or conflict with anyone. However, if anyone acts with malice and initiates it, they will receive severe slaps.”
