USS Theodore Roosevelt steams toward Yemen waters

The US Navy is beefing up its presence in the Gulf of Aden and southern Arabian Sea amid reports that an Iranian armada of nine to ten vessels carrying weapons to the Houthi rebels fighting in Yemen is on its way to break the blockade Egypt and Saudi Arabia have thrown around its shores.

US Navy officials reported Tuesday, April 20, that the USS Theodore Roosevelt is on its way to join about nine US warships in the region, including cruisers and destroyers, which carry teams able to board and search other vessels. Their mission is to intercept any Iranian vessel carrying weapons to the rebels battling government-backed fighters. Saudi Arabia leads an Arab coalition conducting air strikes to stem their advance.