The U.S. Navy has released new footage of a counterstrike against Houthi rebels in western Yemen, the latest in a series of actions intended to blunt the group's attacks on merchant shipping and naval vessels.
The footage was recorded on New Years' Eve, and it shows several Tomahawk (TLAM) missile launches carried out by destroyers in the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group. From the composition of the task force, these destroyers are likely USS Stout and USS Jason Dunham; the cruiser USS Gettysburg is also part of the strike group.
U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers from the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, operating in the Red Sea, launch Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) at Iranian-backed Houthi command and control, weapon production and storage facilities in Yemen on December 31st, within the… pic.twitter.com/cGLffIHVEX
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 3, 2025
The launches were one part of a larger mission targeting the terrorist group's assets in Sana'a and along the coastline over the course of Dec. 30-31. The operation targeted command and control facilities, along with the group's drone and missile production and storage sites. U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force aircraft also destroyed a Houthi coastal radar site, along with seven cruise missiles and suicide-drone UAVs over the Red Sea.
With backing from Iranian sponsors, the Houthi group has launched more than 100 attacks on merchant shipping since late 2023, when it announced a campaign against Israeli-linked vessels in protest of the military operation in Gaza. Over the course of this "blockade," Houthi fighters have frequently exchanged fire with the U.S. Navy and have targeted allied European naval forces in the Red Sea.
In addition to striking at Israel-linked shipping, the Houthi group has also attacked Israel directly with missiles and drones. It has ramped up these targeted attacks over the past month, despite punishing Israeli bombing missions that have destroyed critical infrastructure targets in Houthi-controlled western Yemen.
On Sunday, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree announced that the group had targeted the Orot Rabin power plant south of Haifa with a missile launch. The Israeli Defense Forces reported that the missile was shot down before crossing Israel's border.
"We will continue our supportive military operations for the mujahideen in Gaza," Saree said in a statement.
