SANAA, Yemen 

The Yemeni Houthi group claimed responsibility for two military operations late Tuesday evening that targeted US warships in the Red and Arabian seas.

“The Yemeni armed forces (Houthis) carried out two major military operations in the Red and Arabian Seas, lasting eight hours and successfully hitting their targets,” group spokesman Yahya Saree said in a televised statement.

He said the first operation targeted the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea with multiple cruise missiles and drones.

“The attack on the carrier occurred while the US enemy forces were preparing for hostile operations against our country,” said Saree.

The second hit two US destroyers in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, he said.

The spokesperson linked the attacks to broader geopolitical dynamics.

“The aggression against Yemen is part of the US-British defense of Israeli interests and will only lead to more operations,” he added.

A coalition led by the US has been conducting airstrikes since the beginning of 2024 that it said are targeting Houthi locations in parts of Yemen in response to attacks by the group on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The counterattacks have been occasionally met with retaliation from the group.

In solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been facing a genocidal war by Israel since Oct. 7 last year, the Houthis have targeted Israeli cargo ships or those associated with Tel Aviv with missiles and drones, expressing their determination to continue operations until the end of the onslaught on the enclave.

With the intervention of Washington and London, the Houthis announced they consider all American and British ships military targets.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio