The U.S. navy carrier USS Carl Vinson has joined carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the operating area in the Red Sea and both carrier strike groups are now working around the clock targeting Houthi rebels military sites in western and Northern Yemen, including the group's senior leadership.
"Why have just one, when you can have two juggernauts, operating around the clock, seven days a week," commented Capt. Christ "Chowdah" Hill, CO of USS Truman.
The strike campaign is just one aspect of the pressure that the Trump administration is applying to Houthi rebels. The White House has also strongly encouraged Iran - the Houthi group's primary foreign sponsor - to cease supplying arms and advisors to the Yemeni militants. Iran has reportedly withdrawn its personnel from Yemen as a precautionary measure, and is starting Omani-brokered talks with U.S. negotiators.
The U.S. State Department also warned on Wednesday that the U.S. will not accept any shipping activity in and out northwestern Yemen. The divided country's main seaport, Hodeidah, is controlled by the Houthis and supplies the majority of the population with food and fuel.
"The United States will not tolerate any country or commercial entity providing support to foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Houthis, including offloading ships and provisioning oil at Houthi-controlled ports. Such actions risk violating U.S. law," warned the State Department.
Aid groups have objected to restrictions on basic necessities, given the long-term deprivation that Yemeni civilians have faced since the start of the nation's civil war more than 10 years ago.
Diala Haidar, Amnesty International’s Yemen Researcher said US measures targeting the Houthi rebels should provide clear and effective exemptions for humanitarian aid operations, adding "The majority of civilians in critical need of aid live in Houthi-controlled areas in northern Yemen. The US’s designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization should not obstruct aid and other supplies indispensable for keeping people alive."
The Trump administration has designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, and it recently stripped down U.S. aid funding for Yemen, including funds for food. The decision to withhold food aid was made by a 28-year-old lawyer for the Department of Government Efficiency, two sources at USAID told the AP.