The United States has reinforced its naval presence in the Middle East with the deployment of a second aircraft carrier, amid ongoing airstrikes targeting Houthi rebel infrastructure in Yemen, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed Thursday, according to the AFP news agency.
The USS Carl Vinson, equipped with advanced F-35C fighter jets, is now operating alongside the USS Harry S. Truman. CENTCOM shared a post on social media platform X, showcasing footage of flight operations from both vessels.
The Pentagon’s decision to dispatch a second carrier group follows the latest phase of American air operations initiated in March against the Iran-backed Houthis. The aim is to disrupt their capacity to target international shipping and military vessels operating in strategic waterways.
Last week, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of additional warplanes to reinforce the Pentagon's naval assets in the Middle East. At the time, he also ordered the Carl Vinson carrier strike group to the region.
US President Donald Trump recently stated that the Houthis would be “completely annihilated" and added that Iranian support would only impede but not stop the Houthis' destruction.
Trump later said that the Houthis now want peace because the US attacks on them have been very successful, while stressing that those strikes will continue for a very long time.
The Houthi rebels have upped their attacks in the region since October of 2023, having launched drones and ballistic missiles towards cities in Israel while also targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region, in support for Gazans.
The Houthis halted their launches towards Israel with the start of the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, but began to fire missiles towards Israel again after the ceasefire concluded.