Those Videos Do Not Show Recent Attacks on U.S. Aircraft Carrier
The Claim
Video shows a Recent Attacks on U.S. Aircraft Carrier.
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Recently, social media users have been circulating videos claiming to show that a U.S. aircraft carrier engulfed in fire has been targeted by missile strikes launched by Yemeni forces in the Red Sea.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar investigated the circulating videos and found the claim to be misleading.
Misbar's team found that the video, which was recorded in 2018, captures a missile accident launching of a German naval ship during a training exercise near the coast of Norway.
The German Navy released a report in June 2019, highlighting that three marines were awarded for their "brave actions during the missile incident involving the frigate 'Sachsen'" in June 2018. At that time, the air defense frigate was participating in the Navy's annual Missile Firing Exercise 2018 off the coast of northern Norway.
During live-fire drills several dozen kilometers from shore, an accident occurred with the Vertical Launch System (VLS) of the 'Sachsen.' The crew responded swiftly and effectively managed to contain the fire, preventing significant damage to the ship. The only notable damage was to the 80-kilogram warhead, which remained on the upper deck of the frigate following the incident, as stated in the release.
The second video, which originates from 2020 and was published by the Iranian media outlet "Khabar Online," depicts a massive fire on the U.S. Navy ship USS Bonham Richard, accompanied by the caption: "The deck of the US Navy warship USS Bonham Richard caught fire."
According to a report by the BBC, the USS Bonhomme Richard burned for four days in July 2020 in San Diego, California, resulting in injuries to 40 sailors and 23 civilians. The report names 36 sailors, including five admirals, who played a role in the ship's loss and highlights several cascading failures in the response to the fire.
Houthi Forces Launch Attacks on U.S. Warships in Arabian Sea
The circulation of the claim came after the Pentagon confirmed that U.S. warships faced ongoing missile and drone assaults from Houthi fighters while navigating off the coast of Yemen. The armed group has claimed responsibility for attacking the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and two U.S. destroyers.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder stated that the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) forces effectively thwarted multiple attacks from the Iran-backed Houthi fighters during their transit through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Ryder revealed that two guided missile destroyers, the USS Stockdale and USS Spruance, were targeted by at least eight one-way attack drones, five anti-ship ballistic missiles, and three anti-ship cruise missiles.
He confirmed that all Houthi drones and missiles were successfully engaged and neutralized, causing no damage to the U.S. Navy vessels and no injuries to personnel.
Ryder also noted that he had not received information about any attacks on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Earlier on Tuesday, Houthi fighters claimed that they executed two "specific military operations" against the US Navy during an eight-hour assault. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea stated that the first operation aimed at the American aircraft carrier located in the Arabian Sea, utilizing several cruise missiles and drones.
U.N. Humanitarian Chief Condemns Violent Actions in Gaza as "Gravest International Crimes"
The United Nations humanitarian aid chief informed the Security Council (UNSC) that “acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes” are being perpetrated in Gaza, where Israel's military continues to attack, besiege, and obstruct aid from reaching the civilian population. Speaking to the UNSC on Tuesday, Joyce Msuya, the interim leader of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), characterized Israel’s month-long ground offensive and ongoing blockade of northern Gaza as an “intensified, extreme, and accelerated version of the horrors of the past year” in the region.
Msuya noted that Palestinian civilians have been driven from their homes by Israel’s military, forcing them to "witness their family members killed, burned, and buried alive" in what she described as “a wasteland of rubble.” She warned the council meeting, “We are witnessing acts reminiscent of the gravest international crimes.” Furthermore, she criticized Israel for blocking aid from entering Gaza’s besieged northern areas, stating, “The daily cruelty we see in Gaza seems to have no limits.”
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