Spokesman for the Houthi armed forces, Yahya Saree, on Sunday (Mar 30), claimed that the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier was attacked thrice in the last 24 hours by members of Yemen's radical Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement, according to Russian news agency TASS.

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"In the last 24 hours, our armed forces engaged in a battle with a group of enemy warships led by the US aircraft carrier Harry Truman three times in the Red Sea. The counteraction operation involved missile troops, unmanned aerial vehicles and naval forces that used several cruise missiles and drones," Saree said during a live broadcast on the Al-Masirah TV channel.

US President Donald Trump, on March 15, announced a military operation against the Houthi rebels, who roughly control a third of Yemeni territory. The operation was in response to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. 

Trump threatens Iran with strikes

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Meanwhile, the US president warned Iran of severe consequences if it fails to reach a nuclear agreement with the United States, saying on Sunday (March 30) that there would be bombing “the likes of which they have never seen before”.

Speaking to NBC News in a phone interview, Trump said, “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing.” He also mentioned the possibility of imposing “secondary tariffs” on the country.

He confirmed that officials from both sides were currently “talking”, although no significant progress has been made since the US withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord in 2018. 

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Iran rejects direct talks with US over nuclear program despite Trump’s warnings

His comments came shortly after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian responded to a letter sent by Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader, stating that Tehran would not engage in direct talks with Washington.

“We don’t avoid talks; it’s the breach of promises that has caused issues for us so far,” Pezeshkian said during a televised address. “They must prove that they can build trust.”

(With inputs from agencies)