The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in Souda Bay, Greece on June 25 after a three-day journey from the Red Sea, even as questions remained on whether Yemen’s armed Houthi group had attacked the US aircraft carrier.

The vessel which had been stationed in the Red Sea for eight months — longer than any other US carrier for the last five years — will not have its deployment extended for a third time following a decision by US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis say launched ballistic missiles at US aircraft carrier in Red Sea

“Time to bring them home,” a US official told the United States Naval Institute News.

The official order to bring the Eisenhower back to the United States, due to whatever reasons, reignited speculation as to whether the Houthis had indeed struck the aircraft carrier, as claimed by the group’s military spokesman but denied by the US side.      

The official order to bring the Eisenhower back to the United States, due to whatever reasons, reignited speculation as to whether the Houthis had indeed struck the aircraft carrier, as claimed by the group’s military spokesman but denied by the US side

“The missile forces of our armed forces carried out a targeting operation against the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the northern Red Sea with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles, and the operation achieved its objectives successfully,” spokesman Yahya Saree said on the Houthi-owned Al Masirah television channel on June 22.  

Several hours after the Houthis’ claim, a statement issued by the US Central Command said, “Separately, Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen into the Gulf of Aden. There were no injuries or significant damage reported by the US coalition, or merchant vessels.”

“Recent claims about a successful attack by Houthi forces on the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower are categorically false,” the US statement added.

Interestingly enough, the US Department of Defense also issued a statement on June 22, noting that the “Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group departed the US Central Command area of responsibility today and will remain briefly in the US European Command area of responsibility before returning home after more than seven months deployed in support of US regional deterrence and force protection efforts”.

Even before their June 22 claim, the Houthis had said earlier that they had successfully attacked the US aircraft carrier in a retaliatory strike.

READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis claim attack on 'Israeli' ship in Arabian Sea

Saree, the Houthis’ spokesman, first announced the attack on the Eisenhower carrier in late May, after the group claimed that at least 16 people had been killed in military strikes by the US and the United Kingdom on the Hodeidah province in Yemen. The figure was the highest publicly acknowledged death toll from multiple rounds of strikes, according to an Al Jazeera report.    

"Within the framework of reacting to the US-UK aggression, Yemen’s rocket and naval forces conducted a joint operation, attacking the US aircraft carrier Eisenhower in the Red Sea," Saree told the Al Masirah TV channel on May 31.              

However, a US military official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said in response that the aircraft carrier was fine.

The US-led campaign against Houthis, overshadowed by the Israel-Palestine conflict in the Gaza Strip, has turned into the most intense running sea battle the US Navy has faced since World War II, some officials and naval experts told the Associated Press.  

The US has a track record of minimizing or obscuring instances of attacks on its military forces in the Middle East. In 2019, Iran shot down a US surveillance drone over the Strait of Hormuz, but the US had initially claimed the drone was in international airspace. Only later did the US acknowledge that the drone had in fact entered Iranian airspace.

READ MORE: Yemen's Houthis launch 2nd strike on US aircraft carrier in less than 24 hours

Song Xiaojun, a special commentator from CCTV, noted that the Houthis’ actions are indeed a significant source of concern for the US, reflecting the challenges the US will face in future competition with other countries.

Some net users also shared their opinions on whether Houthis did give a blow to the aircraft carrier.  

A platform user named “matutinal procyonlotor” posted on X that: “Despite fierce denials, I think a Houthis balistic missile did hit the Eisenhower doing serious damage.”      

“I’d think the Houthis got a hit on Eisenhower. Maybe not a direct hit but they did damage,” another user named “fgx15”, who introduces himself as a 31-year-old Australia on the platform, posted on X.

The conflicting claims surrounding the alleged Houthi strike on the US aircraft carrier also highlighted the complexities involved in the Yemen conflict. The Houthis' military capabilities and the geopolitical significance of the incident suggested that their version of events deserved serious consideration, said experts.                    

Contact the writer at mikegu@chinadailyhk.com