The rebels also condemned Israel's wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed at least 330 people, vowing to escalate their own operations in support of ally Hamas.
The Huthis had targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Gaza war and until a January ceasefire, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
But last week, they threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping over Israel's aid blockade on the battering Palestinian territory, triggering US backlash and tit-for-tat retaliation.
The Huthis said on Telegram they had targeted the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group with missiles and drones, making the attack the "third in the past 48 hours" in the northern Red Sea.
A US defence official said the Huthis "continue to communicate lies and disinformation," adding the Iran-backed group is "well known for false claims minimising the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs".
US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was "hard to confirm" the attacks claimed by the Huthis as the rebels were missing their targets "by over 100 miles" (160 kilometres).
- No Huthis 'without Iran' -
Huthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and the capital Sanaa early Tuesday -- after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting "Death to America, death to Israel!" in Sanaa.
There were also large crowds in Saada, the birthplace of the Huthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida and Amran.
The protests came after Washington launched a fresh campaign of air strikes on Yemen beginning Saturday, aiming to pressure the Huthis into ending their attacks on Red Sea shipping.
The US strikes killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday, according to the Huthi-run health ministry.
Washington has vowed to keep hitting Yemen until the Huthis stop attacking shipping, with US President Donald Trump warning he will hold Iran accountable for any further attacks carried out by the Tehran-backed group.
"Every shot fired by the Huthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible," Trump posted on social media.
Iran called his statement "belligerent".
In a televised interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Huthis do "not exist" without Iran.
"Without Iran, there is no Huthi threat of this magnitude," he said.
"They created this Frankenstein monster, and now they got to own it."
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had "no authority" to dictate Tehran's foreign policy.
- 'Hell will rain down' -
Just two days ago, the Huthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels' leadership.
They were the first US strikes since Trump returned to office in January.
US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday's strikes "targeted multiple Huthi leaders and took them out". The Huthis have not responded to Waltz's claim.
The Pentagon said on Monday it had struck 30 targets in its ongoing campaign in Yemen.
The United Nations urged both sides to "cease all military activity", while expressing concern over Huthi threats to resume their Red Sea attacks.
Before this weekend's targeting of the US carrier group, the Huthis had not claimed any attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when the ceasefire in Gaza began.
Trump has warned the Yemeni group that "hell will rain down upon you" if it does not stop its attacks.
- Costly detour -
While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12 percent of world shipping traffic, Huthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa.
A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, showed more than 130 Huthi attacks against warships, commercial vessels and Israeli and other targets since October 19, 2023.
The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Huthi targets under president Joe Biden.
Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Huthi missile fire towards Israeli territory.
The rebels control large swathes of Yemen after ousting the internationally recognised government from Sanaa.
They have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the government since 2015, a conflict that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis.
Fighting has largely been on hold since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the peace process has stalled since the Huthis began their attacks.
Trump says Iran 'will be held responsible' for Huthi attacks
Washington (AFP) Mar 17, 2025 -
President Donald Trump declared Monday he will hold Iran directly responsible for any future attacks by Yemen's Tehran-backed Huthi rebels, who have targeted US and other foreign ships in the Red Sea.
"Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences," Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
While the United States has been carrying out strikes on Huthi targets for months, Trump's comments were unusually pointed at Iran, whom he is also pressuring over nuclear talks.
He spoke after the first US strikes on Yemen of his new term killed 53 people and wounded 98 on Saturday.
In response the Huthis claimed two strikes on a US aircraft carrier and rallied thousands at protests in parts of Yemen under their control.
The United States struck the Huthis over their repeated attacks on Red Sea shipping vessels, which have put a major strain on the vital trade route.
The Huthis have said they are carrying out the attacks in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is waging a war with US support.
"Any further attack or retaliation by the 'Houthis' will be met with great force," Trump also said in his post, adding that "Iran has played 'the innocent victim'" in the conflict.
On Monday, in the Pentagon's first formal press briefing of this Trump presidency, officials said US strikes against the Huthis were continuing in order to degrade their ability to plan and conduct attacks, and that Iran was on notice from Trump.
"All options are on the table at this time," spokesman Sean Parnell told reporters when asked whether the president was considering military action against the Islamic republic.
He also said the United States will continue to use "overwhelming lethal force" until it achieves its objectives.
"There is a very clear end state to this operation, and that begins the moment that the Huthis pledge to stop attacking our ships and putting American lives at risk," Parnell said.
US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich told the briefing more than 30 Huthi targets were hit Saturday, including "terrorist training sites" and weapons manufacturing facilities.
The weekend targets "also included a number of command-and-control centers, including a terrorist compound where we know several senior Huthi unmanned aerial vehicle experts were located," he added.
"Today the operation continues and it will continue in the coming days until we achieve the president's objectives."
Huthi media reported that fresh US air strikes on Monday targeted rebel-held Hodeida on Yemen's western coast.
Before this weekend's targeting of the US carrier group, the Huthis had not claimed attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when a ceasefire in Gaza began.
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