The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower may be one of the oldest aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy, but it's still fighting — despite repeated false claims by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The Houthis and online accounts supporting them repeatedly have alleged they hit or even sank the carrier in the Red Sea. The carrier leads the U.S. response to the rebels' targeting of commercial vessels and warships in the crucial waterway — attacks that began as a show solidarity with Hamas in its war with Israel. The Eisenhower's captain is creatively striking back on social media to counter the misinformation as the Navy faces its most intense combat since World War II.
The U.S.-led campaign against Iran-backed Houthi rebels has turned into the most intense running sea battle the Navy has faced since World War II. That's what its leaders and experts tell The Associated Press, whose journalists visited U.S. ships off Yemen in recent days. The fight against the near-daily attacks by the Houthis has been overshadowed by the Israel-Hamas war raging in Gaza. More than 50 vessels have been clearly targeted by the rebels. Other fire has endangered shipping through the vital Red Sea corridor. It appears the warfare likely only will intensify, putting the U.S. and allies more at risk.
