The US aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, also known as “IKE”, sails into the Red Sea on June 12, 2024.
Bernat Armangue/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Bernat Armangue/AP
The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower – which led the response to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden – is returning home.
U.S. Central Command announced that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt would head to the Middle East to maintain a presence in the region.
The Eisenhower was deployed to the region more than seven months ago – just weeks after Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has played a major role in protecting commercial and military vessels against the Houthis, the Iran-backed rebel group.
“By flying more than 30,000 hours and covering more than 55,000 miles, the IKE CSG has demonstrated our commitment to regional stability and protected freedom of navigation throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden” , Central Command wrote on X, referring to Eisenhower.
“The IKE CSG has also upheld its commitment to the safety of all sailors, rescuing sailors in distress on several occasions following unprovoked attacks on innocent sailors by the Iran-backed Houthis,” added central command.
His departure comes against a backdrop of increasing attacks by Houthi rebels. Last week, the Tutor, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned and operated ship, was sunk by a Houthi strike, killing a sailor on board, The Associated Press reported.
The latest strike took place on Saturday, when an unidentified commercial vessel was targeted in the Gulf of Aden. The ship was not hit and the crew was declared safe, the U.S.-supervised Joint Maritime Information Center said, according to the AP.
NPR News
