Day: June 22, 2024

US Navy photo

• A US Navy carrier strike group that’s fought the Houthis for months is finally returning home.
• The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group left the Middle East on Saturday, the Pentagon said.
• It will soon be replaced by the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group.

The US Navy carrier strike group that’s been battling the Houthis in the Red Sea is finally heading home after spending months in the region protecting shipping lanes from relentless attacks by the Iran-backed rebels.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group left the Middle East on Saturday and will remain briefly in the US European Command area of responsibility before returning stateside. It will not see its deployment extended for a third time.

Its departure follows “more than seven months deployed in support of US regional deterrence and force protection efforts,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder announced in a statement.

The USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, operating in the Indo-Pacific region, will soon head to the Middle East to replace the strike group.

The Eisenhower strike group — which consists of the aircraft carrier Ike and several other warships — originally deployed to the Eastern Mediterranean in October but was quickly redirected to the Middle East to defend shipping lanes from unrelenting Houthi attacks.

Since then, the Eisenhower strike group has intercepted scores of missiles and drones — both in the air and in the water — and also targeted the rebels directly in Yemen. These have been a mix of joint strikes alongside the British military and preemptive strikes designed to eliminate a threat before the Houthis can launch it.

“During its deployment, the IKE CSG protected ships transiting the Red Sea, Bab-el-Mandeb and the Gulf Aden, rescued innocent mariners against the unlawful attacks from the Iranian-backed Houthis, and helped to deter further aggression,” Ryder said.

The reshuffling of American naval assets comes amid concerns over the long-term sustainability of the counter-Houthi operations. US intelligence suggested last month that the Houthi threat is likely to remain active for some time, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had already extended the Eisenhower strike group’s deployment twice.

During its time in the Red Sea, the strike group fired off more than 500 munitions, totaling some $1 billion, and sailed more than 55,000 miles. Its aircraft have also flown over 30,000 hours.

Despite the Eisenhower’s presence, the Houthis continue to attack shipping lanes. The rebels have already struck multiple commercial vessels in June alone, including one with a naval drone for the first time since they began their campaign in the fall.

Ryder, meanwhile, said the Roosevelt strike group will leave the Indo-Pacific region next week upon completion of a scheduled exercise and sail for the Middle East “to continue promoting regional stability, deter aggression, and protect the free flow of commerce in the region.”

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The Oilers have come back from 3-0 down in the series to force a Game 7 finale.

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Canadians are mounting an incredible comeback, bringing us to a somewhat unlikely Game 7 on Monday. If you want to attend the game in person in Florida, we can help you out. Options are running low for the sold-out finale, but we can show you where to buy Stanley Cup tickets for Game 7 of the Oilers vs. Panthers match.

As you probably expected, prices are steep, with huge increases kicking in as soon as Edmonton sealed their most recent win to tie the series 3-3. At the time of writing, you won’t see anything for under $1,100. Original tickets are long gone, so your best option is to use viable resellers like StubHub and VividSeats.

The lowest prices at both sites are reserved for seats towards the back of the stadium, with prices rising the closer you get to the rink. The lower tier of seats has plenty of options for around $2,100, but if you want to be alongside the length of the rink, prices rapidly climb to over $5,000.

• See also: Taylor Swift tickets | Dead & Company tickets | UFC 303 tickets

Oilers vs. Panthers Game 7 tickets

• When:  Monday, June 24, 8 p.m. ET
• Venue: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
• Tickets available from: StubHub and Vivid Seats

 If you’re buying from Vivid Seats, we can help you save a few bucks with our exclusive Viv Seats coupon code INSIDER20. If this is your first order with them, it will knock $20 off any purchase over $200.

If you can’t make the game, we can at least show you where to watch the Stanley Cup finals live stream, which, from the looks of it, will be thousands of dollars cheaper. 

• See also: Taylor Swift tickets | Dead & Company tickets | UFC 303 tickets

Need travel arrangements?

• Flights & hotel: Booking.com | Expedia 
• Flights: Booking.com | Expedia 
• Accommodation: Booking.com | Expedia | Airbnb 
• Parking: Spot Hero | The Parking Spot

Note: Certain services and regions prohibit the resale of tickets. Business Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal reselling of tickets, and entry into an event is at the venue’s discretion.