Yemen:  American military and political circles are in a state of shock after the Yemeni Armed Forces successfully drove a U.S. aircraft carrier out of territorial waters and shot down an F-18 fighter jet in a high-stakes operation—the second of its kind in the Red Sea.  

The downing of the American fighter jet was no ordinary event. It delivered a painful blow to Washington, carrying multiple messages: that Yemen’s military is now fully capable of confronting adversaries with unmatched prowess, and that the Red Sea has become a graveyard for American warplanes.  

CNN reported that the loss of the U.S. F-18 in the Red Sea following a Yemeni attack on the USS Truman struck Washington like a thunderbolt, as reflected in U.S. media coverage this Tuesday.  

Barbara Starr, CNN’s former national security correspondent with over 20 years of experience, noted that the USS Truman’s abrupt, evasive maneuver to escape the attack marks a highly significant development. She added that this dramatic shift points to a major improvement in the Yemeni Armed Forces’ targeting and guidance capabilities.  

Earlier, the U.S. Navy confirmed the loss of an F-18 from the USS Truman, hours after the Yemeni military spokesman announced clashes with the carrier, forcing it to retreat to the northernmost Red Sea.  

U.S. media reports indicate that initial assessments reveal the USS Harry Truman executed a sharp turn to evade Yemeni fire, contributing to the fighter jet’s crash into the sea. The $60 million aircraft sank during the carrier’s high-speed maneuver, with the Pentagon admitting: "We are aware of an F-18 fighter jet and its tow tractor (missile carrier) going overboard, with one sailor injured."

This marks the second U.S. admission of an F-18 loss. Previously, a similar F-18 was downed after being struck by Yemeni forces, damaging both the jet and its carrier.  

In February, Fox News revealed that Yemeni forces targeted an F-18 with surface-to-air missiles—a first since clashes began between Sana’a and the U.S. Navy. Senior U.S. defense officials acknowledged this as a major escalation in military engagements between Yemeni forces and the U.S. Navy/Air Force.  

Yemen’s repeated successes against the U.S. Navy—from downing drones to crippling fighter jets—signal a historic power shift. The Red Sea is no longer an American playground, but a battleground where even the mightiest carriers flee from Yemeni fire. As Washington scrambles to explain its losses, one truth becomes undeniable: the era of unchallenged U.S. naval dominance is over.