The United States military on Sunday dismissed claims by Houthis that they had attacked an American aircraft carrier, saying Washington would not engage in the Iran-backed group' "disinformation campaign."
The denial from US Central Command (CENTCOM) came after the Houthis said they had carried out the attack earlier Sunday and warned of "consequences" for any retaliation during the Gaza ceasefire.
"The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the enemy forces in the Red Sea of the consequences of any aggression against our country during the ceasefire period in Gaza," the rebels said in a statement.
"They will confront any aggression with specific military operations against those forces without a ceiling or red lines."
The Houthis, who have attacked shipping in the Red Sea throughout the war in Gaza, said they targeted the USS Harry S. Truman and other "warships" with drones and cruise missiles.
"The American aircraft carrier was forced to leave the theater of operations," the rebels' statement said.
But a CENTCOM spokesperson stated: "We will not engage in the Houthi disinformation campaign."
"As we stated during CENTCOM commander Gen. Kurilla's recent visit to the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in the Red Sea, the carrier has been operating without interruption since it entered the CENTCOM area of responsibility on Dec. 14, 2024," the spokesperson continued.
Part of Iran's "axis of resistance", the Houthis have repeatedly launched missile and drone attacks on Israel since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.
They have also waged a harassment campaign against shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, severely disrupting trade routes.
On Friday, the Yemeni rebels warned they would keep up their attacks if Israel did not respect the terms of the ceasefire with Hamas.
With AFP
Comments