US deploys carrier group to Gulf of Aden over Yemen resistance

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
17 Dec 2023 21:33
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The Pentagon has recently repositioned the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group from the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Aden, near Yemen.

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and other warships crossed the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, as part of a wider American deployment in the Middle East amid the Israeli war on Gaza (Information Technician Second Class Ruskin Naval/U.S. Navy via AP)

Politico reported on Sunday, citing anonymous officials, that the US Department of Defense has deployed a carrier strike group to the Gulf of Aden in reaction to ship operations in the Red Sea conducted by the Yemeni resistance.

"The Pentagon has in recent days moved the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, to support a potential US response to attacks," one of the sources told Politico.

⚡️BREAKING

The aircraft carrier Eisenhower has arrived in the Gulf of Aden and is now in striking position

The location of the aircraft carrier is believed to be close to the Somali coast and it is currently avoiding to enter the Yemeni territorial waters. pic.twitter.com/IdrtR5cpXP
— Iran Observer (@IranObserver0) December 17, 2023

Quoting another official, the report said that the US military has provided commanders with the option to "strike" the Yemenis.

Earlier in the day, the War Zone website reported that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is set to unveil a US-led initiative called Prosperity Guardian during his upcoming trip to the Middle East next week. According to the website, the purpose of this program is to safeguard ships in the Red Sea from potential operations carried out by the Yemeni resistance following recent attacks on vessels from the US and UK.

Yesterday, the Semafor news portal said that the Pentagon is contemplating the option of targeting military sites of the Yemeni resistance in response to operations on ships in the Red Sea.

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday that Iran needs to address the threat to shipping in the Red Sea posed by the resistance.

US ships legitimate targets for Yemen

The resistance in Yemen has been in recent weeks conducting a series of operations targeting Israeli shipping in the Red Sea due to the Israeli genocide in Gaza.

In the latest incident, military vessels from the US and the UK allegedly intercepted 14 drones launched by the Yemeni resistance on early Saturday morning.

The resistance in Yemen has stated multiple times that they will continue to block the passage of ships connected to Israeli companies or destined for "Israel" in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the cessation of the Israeli-led genocide in Gaza.

For the same reasons, the Iraqi resistance has likewise been waging a series of operations targeting US occupation bases in both Syria and Iraq.

Meanwhile, the resistance in Lebanon is continuing to exchange fire with the Israeli regime at the Lebanon-Palestine borders.