US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States has launched "decisive and forceful" airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, citing the group's attacks on Red Sea shipping. Trump stated on Truth Social that these actions are in response to Houthi attacks on the U.S. and its allies, and to maintain security in the region.

Trump accused the Iranian-backed "Houthi thugs" of firing missiles at American aircraft and attacking U.S. troops and their allies. He added that their "piracy, violence, and terrorism" have caused "billions of dollars" in damage and endangered lives. The Houthi-controlled health department reported that the airstrikes have killed at least 15 people and injured 9 others.

The Houthi rebels stated that they will respond to the U.S. attacks. The group initially began attacking shipping in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthi rebels reported a series of explosions on Saturday night in Sanaa and the northern Saada province, the group's stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi rebels condemned the "wicked" aggression by the United States and Britain against residential areas in Yemen's capital, Sanaa. Although Britain did not participate in Saturday's U.S. strikes on Houthi targets, it provided routine refueling support to the U.S. Trump said that these attacks "will not be tolerated," adding, "We will use overwhelming deadly force until we achieve our objectives."

Since November 2023, the Houthi rebels have used missiles, drones, and small boats to attack dozens of merchant ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, sinking two ships, seizing a third, and killing four crew members. Major shipping companies have been forced to stop using the Red Sea route, instead using the longer route around southern Africa. Trump stated that it has been over a year since an American ship safely passed through the Suez Canal, and four months since an American warship passed through the waters between East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

Trump directly told the Houthi rebels that if they do not stop attacking, "hell will come down on you like you have never seen before." But the Houthi response was unwavering, stating that this aggression will not weaken their support for the Palestinians. "This aggression will not go unanswered, and our Yemeni armed forces are ready to respond to escalation with further escalation." U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Houthi rebels' "benefactor," Iran, "has been warned."

Trump urged Iran to stop supporting the Houthi rebels, and warned that Washington will "hold Tehran fully accountable, and we will not be kind." He also accused the former Biden administration of being "pathetically weak" and allowing the "unrestrained Houthis" to continue their actions. Data from the U.S. Congress shows that the Houthi rebels launched 190 attacks in the Red Sea between November 2023 and October 2024. Previously, Britain and the United States had conducted joint air and sea strikes against the group. Israel has also carried out separate attacks on locations linked to the Houthi rebels.