News - Middle East: A prominent Zionist newspaper has acknowledged that the United States—along with its president, Donald Trump—fled from confrontation with Yemen and halted its aggression after Yemeni Armed Forces managed to tighten the noose around the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and directly target it with missiles.

In a Tuesday report titled “A Houthi Surprise: The Missile That Scared Trump,” the Hebrew-language newspaper Calcalist confirmed that "US President Donald Trump decided to halt attacks on [the Yemenis] last May, fearing the success of a ballistic missile strike on the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea.”

The report stated that Trump’s fear of an attack on the Harry Truman, and the blow it would represent to the global image of US military power, was the reason behind the White House’s decision to stop its strikes against Yemen.

The paper revealed that the carrier Truman was nearly struck directly by a hypersonic missile, forcing Trump to retreat and withdraw without imposing any conditions. It questioned: Why didn’t Trump include a halt to attacks on “Israel” in the agreement?

It further noted that on May 6th, the Truman was subjected to a surprise attack that forced it into a dangerous evasive maneuver, which led to the crash of an F-18 fighter jet into the Red Sea. This incident was part of a major operation carried out by the Yemeni Armed Forces just hours before Trump was compelled to announce an end to the aggression on Yemen in exchange for a halt to attacks on American forces.

According to the paper, Calcalist interviewed US Navy officials, who explained they had warned Trump about “the risks of continuing the [air campaign].” They told him that “the sight of a damaged American aircraft carrier being towed to port would be a public relations disaster too great for the US administration to bear.”

The report revealed that Yemen’s use of ballistic and hypersonic missiles, along with drones to target aircraft carriers, has placed the US Navy in an impossible position—unable to fully repel or eliminate the threat.

The Zionist newspaper cited Pentagon admissions about the severity of the naval mission, especially in the face of Yemen. It referenced statements from US Naval Forces Central Command Commander Brad Cooper last year, where he acknowledged that the US is engaged in its largest naval battle since World War II.

It also pointed out that multiple US reports had previously revealed the reasons behind Trump’s withdrawal, most notably the fear of American carriers being directly targeted—an event that could completely destroy what remains of America’s reputation for dominance.

The paper justified Trump’s decision by stating, “Sometimes, the threat to prestige is more impactful than a direct military defeat,” affirming that Yemen achieved both—a dual victory: shattering America’s prestige and dominance, while simultaneously imposing a naval blockade on the Zionist entity and intensifying operations deep inside the occupied territories, despite thousands of US, British, and Israeli airstrikes on Yemen.

Since late 2023, Yemen’s Armed Forces have dramatically escalated their military operations in response to the Israeli enemy's war on Gaza and the broader US.-British support for it. As part of their declared solidarity with the Palestinian people, Yemen has launched a sustained campaign targeting Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and beyond—expanding its strategy to include aerial and maritime blockades on the Israeli entity.

The US and its allies responded with hundreds of airstrikes across Yemen, aiming to dismantle Yemen’s missile and drone capabilities and protect Israel-linked shipping routes. However, despite the scale of this military campaign, Yemen has not only maintained but expanded its operational reach—targeting US and Israeli military assets, including successful strikes or near-strikes on American aircraft carriers.

The USS Harry S. Truman, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has been one of the most symbolic assets in the US Navy’s regional presence. Any credible threat against it, especially from a country under siege like Yemen, would deal a heavy blow to America’s military prestige.

Yemen’s increasing use of ballistic and hypersonic missiles, along with advanced drones, has shifted the balance of power in regional waters, creating serious concern within US and Israeli defense establishments. Analysts now describe the conflict as one of the most significant maritime confrontations since World War II, with implications far beyond the Red Sea.

The reported retreat of US forces following direct threats to its carriers would represent a major strategic and symbolic victory for Yemen and a major embarrassment for Washington, particularly under the leadership of Donald Trump, whose administration had vowed to maintain dominance in the region.