Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for two attacks on a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Red Sea on Sunday and Monday and vowed to target American cargo ships in response to U.S. strikes that Washington says killed several of their leaders.

Houthi leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi called on Yemenis to gather "by the millions" on Monday to protest the U.S. strikes on Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, which the rebels said killed 53 people, including five children, and wounded 98.

On Sunday, the Houthis said they had launched a "military operation" against the USS Harry Truman and its accompanying warships in the northern Red Sea, claiming to have fired 18 missiles and a drone. On Monday morning, they announced a "second" attack on the carrier, saying they had targeted it with "numerous ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones" in an engagement lasting several hours. The United States has not confirmed the attacks.

Houthi media reported that U.S. strikes overnight from Sunday to Monday targeted a cotton ginning factory in the Hodeida region in western Yemen and the command post of the "Galaxy Leader," a ship seized by the rebels over a year ago.

The U.S. Central Command (Centcom) said only that its forces "continue operations against the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists" without providing further details. Abdel Malek al-Houthi warned that the group would target American merchant ships in the Red Sea as long as the United States "continued its aggression."

Escalation

As tensions rise, the United Nations has called on both sides to "cease all military activity." U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday vowed "hell" for the "Houthi terrorists" and urged Iran to stop supporting the group, which has stepped up attacks on maritime trade in the region since the Israel-Hamas war began.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said Sunday that the U.S. strikes on rebel strongholds in Yemen killed "several key Houthi leaders." Iran condemned the attacks as "barbaric" and rejected Trump's warnings.

The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, including Sanaa, warned Saturday that they were "ready to escalate for escalation." Alongside Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis are part of what Iran calls the "axis of resistance" against Israel. Both Hamas and Hezbollah condemned the U.S. strikes, which the Houthi health ministry said targeted Sanaa, Saada in northern Yemen, and Radaa in central Yemen.

Since the Gaza war began on Oct. 7, 2023, the Houthis have launched missile attacks on Israel and ships linked to the country, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians. They halted attacks after a cease-fire took effect on Jan. 19 but announced on March 11 that they would resume them after Israel blocked humanitarian aid to Gaza.

U.S.-Russia Call

During a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that "continued Houthi attacks on American military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea will not be tolerated." Lavrov, whose country maintains close ties with Iran, urged all sides to refrain from using force in Yemen.

The attacks have disrupted traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, a key global trade route, prompting the United States to form a multinational naval coalition and conduct strikes on rebel targets, sometimes with British support.

Yemen, one of the poorest countries on the Arabian Peninsula, has been embroiled in civil war since 2014, pitting the Houthis against the Saudi-backed government. The war has killed hundreds of thousands and plunged the country of 38 million into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, according to the United Nations.