USS
Theodore Roosevelt (Reuters/Mark Wessels)
dIANa.h -
Tentera Laut Amerika Syarikat telah menghantar 2 kapal perang ke perairan Yaman
untuk menjalankan operasi keselamatan maritim. 'Namun, Washington menafikan ianya
telah dihantar untuk memintas sebuah konvoi tentera laut Iran yang didakwa
membawa senjata untuk anti-kerajaan kuasa-kuasa Houthi.
Pentagon
berkata dalam satu kenyataan pada hari Isnin bahawa pengangkut pesawat USS
Theodore Roosevelt dan cruiser pengiring yang USS Normandy telah singgah dari
Teluk Parsi ke Laut Arab pada 19 April.
"Theodore
Roosevelt dan Normandy telah menyertai tentera Amerika Syarikat lain
menjalankan operasi keselamatan maritim di Laut Arab, Teluk Aden, Selat
Bab-el-Mandeb dan Selatan Laut Merah," yang berbunyi kata kenyataan itu.
Ia
memetik "ketidakstabilan semasa di Yaman" sebagai alasan untuk
bergerak. Seorang jurucakap Pentagon, Kolonel Steve Warren menafikan laporan
bahawa kapal berada di misi untuk memintas senjata Iran penghantaran ke Yaman
pemberontak Houthi.
Sumber
Tentera Laut Amerika Syarikat sebelum ini berkata terdapat kira-kira 9 Amerika
Syarikat kapal di luar pantai Yaman, menurut AP. Ini berikutan laporan dalam
akhbar The Hill memetik pegawai Pentagon bahawa Iran telah menghantar 9 kapal
perang ke arah Yaman.
Mereka
menambah bahawa beberapa kapal Iran didakwa membawa senjata untuk membekalkan
pemberontak Houthi. Tehran belum mengulas tentang tuduhan, walaupun ia mengatakan
kapal-kapal mereka berada di rantau ini untuk membantu memerangi lanun.
Satu
gabungan diketuai Saudi telah mengenakan sekatan tentera laut di seluruh
negara, di samping kempen pengeboman, kerana ia bertujuan untuk melawan
terhadap pemberontak Syiah Houthi.
Serangan
udara yang terkini mencecah pangkalan peluru berpandu di pinggir bandar ibu
Yemani Sanaa, membunuh sekurang-kurangnya 25 orang dan mencederakan hampir 400.
BACA
lebih lanjut: 25 terbunuh, hampir 400 cedera dalam pangkalan peluru berpandu
pengeboman di Yaman READ MORE: 25 killed, almost 400 wounded in
missile base bombing in Yemen
US
beefing up naval presence off Yemen amid
rising regional tensions . . .
The US
Navy has sent two warships to Yemeni waters to conduct ‘maritime security
operations.’ However, Washington denies they have been sent to intercept an
alleged Iranian naval convoy carrying weapons for Houthi anti-government
forces.
The
Pentagon said in a statement on Monday that the aircraft carrier USS Theodore
Roosevelt and its escort cruiser USS Normandy have transited from the Persian
Gulf to the Arabian Sea on April 19.
"Theodore
Roosevelt and Normandy have joined other US forces conducting maritime security
operations in the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb and
the Southern Red Sea," the statement reads.
It
cited the "current instability in Yemen" as the reason for the move.
A spokesman for the Pentagon, Colonel Steve Warren denied reports that the
ships were on a mission to intercept Iranian arms shipments to Yemeni Houthi
rebels.
A US
Navy source had earlier said there were around nine US ships off Yemen’s coast,
according to AP. This followed a report in The Hill newspaper citing Pentagon
officials that Iran had sent nine warships to towards Yemen.
They
added that some of the Iranian vessels were allegedly carrying weapons to
supply the Houthi rebels. Tehran has not commented on the accusations, though
it did say their ships were in the region to help the fight against piracy.
A
Saudi-led coalition has already imposed a naval blockade around the country, in
addition to its bombing campaign, as it seeks to fight back against Shia Houthi
rebels.
The
latest airstrikes hit a missile base in the suburbs of the Yemani capital
Sanaa, killing at least 25 people and wounding almost 400.
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