Navy USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Enters Red Sea… Warning to Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

Traveling through the famous Suez Canal, the US Navy’s USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has now crossed from the Mediterranean Sea into the Red Sea, placing massive maritime power-projection capability within closer attack range to parts of Iran, the Arabian Peninsula and Yemen. Yemen is of course home to Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles toward Israel, weapons which US Navy warships in the Red Sea have already tracked and intercepted with SM-2 missiles.

Operating in the Red Sea certainly enables the US Navy an opportunity to better defend Israel from Houthi-fired missiles, or even destroy attack locations of Houthi rebels in Yemen should that become necessary. Perhaps being present in the Red Sea is intended as a “deterrent” or “warning” to Iran-backed Houthi-rebels in Yemen.

Many locations within the Red Sea would easily put carrier-launched attack aircraft within range of flying attack sorties against Yemen, and with refueling or possible stops at US friendly bases in the United Arab Emirates, US Navy plans could approach parts of the Persian Gulf or Iranian coastline from the Red Sea.

The Iranian coastline is roughly 1,800 miles from the Red Sea, a location beyond the 1,000-mile range of carrier-launched F-35Cs. However, with mid-air refueling over safe territory or a possible stop, US Navy warplanes could very well launch air campaign offensive missions over Iran, should that be necessary. Attacking Iran from the Red Sea might also bring the added advantage of operating the USS Eisenhower at safer standoff ranges less vulnerable to Iranian anti-ship missiles which would potentially be well positioned to threaten US Navy carriers in the Persian Gulf.

In February of 2022, the US Air Force moved F-22s to the UAE in response to Houthi attacks in Abu Dhabi. The UAE is only 500-to-600 miles from major parts of Iran, so US fighter jets could potentially operate from there in a way that places massive amounts of pressure upon Iran, and it would serve as a half-way point from the Red Sea to targets over Iran.

It may not seem likely that the US Navy would directly insert itself into the current Israeli-Defense Forces – Hamas war, yet sending the USS Eisenhower is almost certainly intended to support deterrence efforts should Iran or Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen contemplate larger scale attacks against Israel.