Yemen Monitor / Sana’a / Exclusive:
The U.S. aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is operating in the Red Sea, as the U.S. war with Iran approaches its second week and Yemen’s Houthi armed group threatens to begin military operations in the region in support of Iran.
The U.S. Department of Defense (Pentagon) on Friday published photos showing the carrier Ford and the destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG-96) while transiting the Suez Canal on Thursday, according to USNI News.
This passage brings the newest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy into the area of responsibility of the U.S. Central Command, where the Iran-backed Houthis have launched attacks targeting American warships and commercial vessels over the past two and a half years.
Since the war with Iran erupted last Saturday, the Houthis have expressed support for Tehran but have not yet announced whether they plan to resume attacks on shipping. However, Houthi leaders say that entering the war is only a matter of time as military escalation in the region intensifies.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, confirmed that the group is closely monitoring the rapidly evolving developments in the region, stressing that their fighters are on the highest level of alert.
Al-Bukhaiti said in a phone interview with The New York Times that “the expansion of the conflict to include other countries, including Yemen, is only a matter of time,” adding in a warning tone: “Our hands are on the trigger.”
These statements come as the region witnesses sharp military alignments. Al-Bukhaiti issued a direct warning to the United States, stating that “the United States will ultimately be the biggest loser” if the current path of escalation continues.
Al-Bukhaiti did not disclose the nature of the anticipated military moves or the exact timing of any possible escalation. However, he indicated that the decision to participate comes in response to ongoing developments in the regional arena, opening the door to the possibility of an expanded conflict in the Red Sea and international maritime routes.
