Sanaa (South24 Center)

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Yemen's Houthis announced on Monday (April 21) that they had carried out four military operations -- targeting two US aircraft carriers, the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson, in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, as well as two targets inside Israel.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea stated that their forces launched two cruise missiles and two drones at the Truman, and targeted the Vinson with three cruise missiles and four drones. He claimed the operations "successfully achieved their objectives”.

Sarea also said that the group struck what it described as a "vital target" in Ashkelon and a military site in Eilat using Yafa and Samad-1 long-range drones.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later responded, saying: “Any attack by the Houthis against us will be met with a firm response, and the same applies to Lebanon and the rest of the fronts.”

In a pointed remark, Netanyahu added: “To the Houthis who proudly named a drone ‘Yafa’, I say—Yafa is not occupied.” He also asserted that the group is already “taking heavy blows from our allies in the United States” and warned that Israel’s response “will be severe.”

The Houthi announcement followed a speech by Houthi Supreme Political Council leader Mahdi al-Mashat, broadcast on the group's Al-Masirah channel, in which he downplayed the impact of the US strikes. "Our military capabilities have suffered no more than one percent damage, with all significant losses being civilian," al-Mashat claimed during a meeting with the Houthi defense council at an undisclosed location.

Al-Mashat accused US President Donald Trump of "dragging America into a strategic quagmire in Yemen" after failing to curb the group's capabilities. Notably absent from the meeting were key allies from the General People's Congress party, including its Sanaa wing leader Sadeq Abu Ras and parliamentary speaker Yahya al-Ra'i.

The claims came as Houthi-affiliated agencies reported continued US airstrikes, including four raids early Monday in Saada governorate and attacks on Harf Sufyan (Amran) and Sahar districts. The Houthi health ministry alleged the Sunday night strikes on a residential area and market in Sanaa's Shu'ub district killed 12 civilians and wounded 30.

Separately, video footage documented by local residents appeared to show failed missile launches or misfires in areas of Sanaa and Al-Mahwit. The explosions were initially attributed by the Houthis to American strikes, though observers questioned whether they were the result of errant Houthi projectiles.

Local footage shows failed Houthi missile launches falling in Sanaa and Mahwit, blamed by the group on US forces#south24 pic.twitter.com/JGelIyHbFC

— South24 | English (@South24E) April 21, 2025

In a move met with widespread Yemeni social media mockery, a Houthi coordination center announced “sanctions” against 15 US arms manufacturers for supporting Israel.

The US Central Command maintained its strikes aimed to degrade the Iran-backed group's military capabilities, particularly maritime threats and its illicit fuel revenue streams. 

It posted on the X handle: “USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) continues 24/7 operations against the Iran-backed Houthis”, with the hashtag #HouthisAreTerrorists. It posted pictures of fighter jets taking off from the deck of the carrier on bombing missions.