The United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are both pledging to escalate the conflict following U.S. airstrikes aimed at deterring the rebels from targeting military and commercial ships in a critical shipping route.
The Health Ministry controlled by the Houthis reported that at least 53 people, including five women and two children, were killed in the strikes, with nearly 100 injured in Sanaa and other areas, such as Saada, a key rebel stronghold on the Saudi border.
Iran denies aiding Yemen's Houthi rebels after US strikes, Trump’s threat
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the U.S. would continue until the Houthis no longer have the capability to block shipping, emphasizing the determination to stop their control over vital maritime routes. President Donald Trump pledged to use "overwhelming lethal force" against the Houthis, holding Tehran fully accountable for supporting them.
The Houthis have attacked Red Sea shipping in the past, targeting vessels in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war. Attacks ceased after a ceasefire in January, but the Houthis threatened to renew assaults after Israel halted aid to Gaza earlier this month. Since then, there have been no new attacks reported.
The U.S. airstrikes, one of the most significant against the Houthis since the Gaza conflict began, were confirmed by national security adviser Mike Waltz as targeting multiple Houthi leaders, although their identities were not disclosed. Rubio added that some Houthi facilities had been destroyed.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned that the group would retaliate to U.S. strikes with more attacks, including missile and drone strikes targeting U.S. warships, and hinted at further escalation if the U.S. continued its aggression.
In response, the Houthis launched drones and missiles, with U.S. forces intercepting most of them. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for restraint, highlighting the risks to Yemen's humanitarian crisis.
Rubio pointed out that over the last 18 months, the Houthis had directly attacked U.S. Navy vessels 174 times and targeted commercial shipping 145 times, causing the most significant naval combat since World War II.
Meanwhile, Iran's General Hossein Salami denied involvement in the Houthi attacks, claiming that Iran does not control the rebels’ operations. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the U.S. airstrikes and emphasized that Washington should not dictate Iran’s foreign policy. The U.S. has previously seized Iranian-made weapons intended for the Houthis, reinforcing accusations of Tehran’s support.
Trump orders strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen
The new U.S. airstrike operation is the first since Trump’s second term began and marks the continued presence of the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group in the Red Sea, alongside other U.S. naval assets like the USS Georgia submarine.