United States warships have reportedly shot down roughly a dozen Houthi drones since President Donald Trump launched airstrikes against the organization. According to Fox News, a senior defense official disclosed on Sunday that the drones were targeting the US Navy’s Truman Carrier Strike Group but were intercepted well before posing a serious threat.

These military actions follow attacks from Houthis on both commercial merchant vessels and US military ships. President Trump, who re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in January, ordered decisive military action against them in Yemen. The White House released photos showing Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz monitoring the strikes.

The US Defense Secretary stated on Sunday that the United States will continue its attacks on Yemen’s Houthis until they cease attacks on shipping. This stance comes as the Iran-aligned group signaled a potential escalation in response to deadly US strikes, which reportedly killed at least 53 people, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. This operation is described as the most significant US military action in the Middle East since President Trump's return in January.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has threatened to target US ships in the Red Sea if the US continues its attacks on Yemen. The Houthi movement’s political bureau has described the US attacks as a war crime, while Moscow has urged Washington to cease the strikes. Early Monday, a Houthi military spokesman claimed a second attack against the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea. US warplanes reportedly shot down 11 Houthi drones on Sunday, none of which approached the Truman. US forces also tracked a missile that landed off the coast of Yemen but was not deemed a threat.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, “The minute the Houthis say we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones. This campaign will end, but until then it will be unrelenting.” The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, had previously threatened to resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea if Israel did not lift its blockade on aid entering Gaza.