- The Houthis' claim that they struck the USS Eisenhower is untrue, per a defense official.
- The Houthis claimed the missile attack was retaliation for Thursday US strikes in Yemen.
- The Eisenhower is a lead ship in the US Navy's response to the Houthis in the Red Sea.
The Houthis' claim that they struck a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea with missiles is untrue, according to a US defense official.
The missile attack on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower was alleged by the Iranian-backed military group's spokesperson Yahya Saree on Friday. Saree claimed the ship was targeted in response to US and UK strikes in Yemen on Thursday, adding that 16 people were killed and 41 wounded in those attacks.
But a defense official told Business Insider the reports of the Eisenhower being hit were false, and that they were unaware that missiles had even been fired at the flattop.
It remains unclear if the Houthis fired missiles and where they landed; the carrier strike group can track incoming threats like missiles that are a few hundred miles away. The Ike has run flight operations from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which is at a greater remove from Houthi missiles.
The Eisenhower, a Nimitz-class carrier, is a lead ship in the US Navy's response to the Houthis attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, and its aircraft have been involved in strikes on the rebel group in Yemen as well as intercepting missile and drone threats.
Since the carrier's strike group — which consists of the Ike, the destroyers USS Gravely and Mason and the cruiser Philippine Sea — first arrived in the Red Sea, they've engaged with Houthis forces in a high-tempo combat environment, defending shipping lanes for relentless attacks.
The Eisenhower and Gravely recently made a port visit in Greece to rearm as US intelligence suggests the conflict with the Houthis may continue on with no end in sight.