Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has extended the USS Harry S. Truman’s deployment in the Middle East for another week to combat Houthi militants. This decision follows a series of intensified airstrikes against the Houthis, which have disrupted trade in the Red Sea. Hegseth has also ordered the creation of a new national defense strategy, with a deadline set for August.
In a significant move, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has decided to extend the deployment of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Middle East for an additional week. This decision aims to maintain two carrier strike groups in the region to combat Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants. A U.S. official revealed this latest directive, which was executed on Thursday, and it comes after a month-long initial extension granted in late March.
General Erik Kurilla, who leads U.S. Central Command, had previously requested the carrier’s continued presence. Currently, the USS Truman is stationed in the Red Sea alongside two destroyers and a cruiser, while the USS Carl Vinson and its strike group operate in the Gulf of Aden. Officials discussing these military operations did so on the condition of anonymity, indicating the sensitive nature of the situation.
The United States has intensified its military efforts against the Houthis, conducting daily airstrikes since March 15, following President Trump’s orders to engage in a more aggressive strategy. He pledged to utilize “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis halt their ongoing threats to shipping in the Red Sea, a critical trade route for global commerce.
According to Central Command reports, the U.S. has engaged in a rigorous campaign against the Houthis, targeting over 1,000 sites in Yemen since the initiation of Operation Rough Rider. If there are no further extensions of the Truman’s deployment, sailors could potentially return to Norfolk, Virginia, as early as next month.
This escalation follows a tumultuous year marked by the U.S. keeping the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea amid heightened maritime tensions. The Houthis have been conducting frequent missile and drone assaults on vessels, citing their actions as a means to influence the ongoing conflict involving Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Between November 2023 and January, the Houthis successfully struck more than 100 merchant ships, sinking two and resulting in the deaths of four sailors, limiting the movement of approximately $1 trillion in goods that typically traverse the Red Sea annually. Although this group entered a self-imposed ceasefire, hostilities resumed after the U.S. expanded its military campaign in March.
In an additional directive on Friday, Hegseth tasked the Department of Defense with developing a new national defense strategy, establishing a deadline for leaders to finalize a draft by the end of August. This strategy is expected to encapsulate Hegseth’s priorities for the military as it adjusts to present global security challenges. It should reflect his administration’s personnel reductions and the merging of various military commands while aligning with Trump’s America First doctrine.
In conclusion, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to extend the USS Harry S. Truman’s deployment highlights the ongoing military confrontations with the Houthis in Yemen. As airstrikes intensify against this Iran-backed group, the U.S. aims to secure vital trade routes in the Red Sea. Furthermore, Hegseth’s directive for a new national defense strategy underscores the changing priorities and military focus of the U.S. armed forces under his leadership.
Original Source: www.reviewjournal.com
