The 8th aircraft carrier strike group of the US Navy, led by the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), left the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, passing through the Suez Canal, and is currently in the Ionian Sea. This was reported on May 19, 2025, by users of the X platform, citing information from American sources transmitted to Al Jazeera. The decision to withdraw the group is due to the de facto cessation of hostilities between the United States and the Yemeni movement "Ansar Allah" (Houthis), which was the result of the Pentagon's realization of the limited effectiveness of airstrikes on Houthi positions.

USS Harry S. Truman, escorted by the cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG-64), destroyers USS Stout (DDG-55), USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), and USS The Sullivans (DDG-68), entered the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of ​​responsibility on December 14, 2024, after transiting the Suez Canal. According to USNI News, the group participated in Operation Prosperity Guardian, which aimed to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, and also carried out strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. Since March 2025, the carrier group has carried out more than 1000 strikes against Houthi targets, including weapons depots and launch sites, but these actions have failed to significantly degrade the group’s military capabilities, according to The New York Times.

The Iran-backed Houthis began attacking shipping in the Red Sea in October 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Since then, they have carried out more than 170 attacks using missiles, drones, and naval mines, forcing many ships to reroute through the Cape of Good Hope, increasing costs by 15 to 20 percent. The USS Harry S. Truman has been repeatedly attacked: The Houthis claimed to have attacked the carrier seven times between January and April 2025, including launching 18 ballistic and cruise missiles in March. The Pentagon has not confirmed damage, but on April 28, an F/A-18E Super Hornet crashed into the sea while taking evasive action, raising questions about the safety of operations.

The ceasefire between the US and the Houthis was made possible by the talks in Oman, as mentioned by the analyst Responsible Statecraft. The Houthis agreed to suspend attacks on US ships in exchange for an end to strikes on Yemen, although they continued to fire rockets at Israel. As noted by the Houthis' spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam, their naval blockade is limited to Israeli ships until the ceasefire in Gaza is met. Al Jazeera, citing US officials, reported that the US does not plan to replace the USS Harry S. Truman with another aircraft carrier in the region, which confirms the end of the active phase of the operation.