Video Shows U.S. Forces Preparing Attacks on Houthis

A video released by U.S. Central Command shows U.S. service personnel readying weapons for strikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces aboard the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.

Why It Matters

The arrival of the USS Carl Vinson in the region bolsters operations underway against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. The strikes—Trump's first major military action of his second term—aims to secure vital shipping lanes and send a clear message to Tehran and its regional proxies.

A recent deployment of additional U.S. forces signals a military buildup in the Middle East adding to the pressure campaign against Iran's nuclear program and highlights Washington's readiness to escalate if diplomacy fails.

What To Know

Video released Thursday by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) showed Navy sailors aboard the USS Carl Vinson were seen preparing weapons and aircraft for strikes against the Houthis.

The USS Carl Vinson military aircraft carrier has joined CENTCOM's area of responsibility in the Middle East, alongside the USS Harry S. Truman, amid a U.S. airstrike campaign against the Yemen-based group, also known as Ansar Allah, vowing to deter threats on global maritime navigation.

But one month into the military operation, Ansar Allah have continued their attacks against U.S. and Israeli targets in the Red Sea. The group has also launched missile attacks on Israel - intercepted by Israeli forces - citing solidarity with Hamas militants and the Palestinian population of Gaza in the face of the continuing war there.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Central Command on X: "U.S. Navy Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) prepare ordnance for operations against Iran-backed Houthis...
#HouthisAreTerrorists"

Brigadier Yahya Saree, spokesman for Yemen's Houthi group on Telegram: "The Armed Forces reiterate that their military capabilities have not been affected, and that the ongoing American aggression against our country will only bring more disappointment and failure. While the Armed Forces, with Allah's help, are confronting the aggression supported by the Israeli enemy, they will not cease their support operations for the oppressed Palestinian people until the aggression against Gaza stops and the siege is lifted."

Brigadier General Doron Gavish, former Commander of Israel's Air Defense Division to 103 FM, quoted by Maariv in Hebrew: "If we look at what is happening in the Houthis' area, we are witnessing attacks by the Americans for many weeks in the Houthis' area, and this has an impact – also on their ability to launch at the State of Israel, on their pace and sometimes on their effectiveness, and this is what we have been experiencing lately."

Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades Military Wing Spokesperson Abu Obeida on Telegram in Arabic: "The loyal brothers in Yemen continue to insist on paralyzing the heart of the Zionist entity in solidarity with Gaza, which is facing a brutal war of extermination—despite the heavy price they are paying in their precious blood and the resources of their brotherly nation for this steadfast loyalty to Palestine and Al-Aqsa."

What Happens Next

The U.S. is intensifying military efforts against the Houthis in a confrontation that looks set to continue.