The Pentagon announced that the USS Iwo Jima and USS Fort McHenry are on standby in the Red Sea and are ready to respond to the rebel uprising in Yemen.
The Pentagon spokesman says that the two ships offer enough firepower to respond to “any contingency.”
Late last night, Saudi Arabia and nine other nations began military strikes against Houthi rebels who have overtaken Yemen.
By Wednesday morning, Houthi forces had seized Al Anad air base, which until recently had been used by American counterterrorism forces, about 35 miles from Mr. Hadi’s refuge in Aden, the country’s second-largest city.
A few hours later, Yemeni Air Force planes under Houthi control struck targets near the president’s Aden home and his supporters returned fire with antiaircraft guns.
The state television network, also controlled by Houthis, announced a $100,000 bounty for Mr. Hadi’s arrest as rumors about his whereabouts swirled.
By nightfall, there were reports that Houthi forces were fighting around the Aden airport, on the outskirts of the city. If “Aden” rings a bell, it’s because that’s the port where al-Qaeda operatives attacked the U.S.S. Cole in 2000.
