US launches major strikes targeting Houthis in Yemen

ADEN, Yemen,— The United States launched military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement on Saturday, responding to the group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping. President Donald Trump warned of further action if the Houthis did not halt their campaign.

“If these attacks continue, hell will rain down upon you,” Trump said in a televised statement. He also directed a warning at Iran, the Houthis’ main supporter. “If Iran threatens the United States, we will hold them fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it,” he said.

The strikes mark the most significant U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Trump took office in January. The move comes amid growing tensions between Washington and Tehran, as the U.S. increases economic pressure in an attempt to force Iran into negotiations over its nuclear program.

At least nine civilians were killed and another nine were wounded in the strikes on Sanaa, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. The group’s political wing called the attacks a “war crime” and vowed to retaliate.

Residents in Sanaa reported that explosions struck a building in a Houthi-controlled district. “The blasts were so strong they shook the entire neighborhood. It was like an earthquake,” said Abdullah Yahia, a local resident.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, saying their actions support people of Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.

Iran’s other regional allies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, have suffered heavy setbacks in recent months. However, the Houthis have maintained their offensive, sinking two ships, seizing another, and killing at least four crew members. Their actions have severely disrupted global shipping, forcing vessels to reroute around Africa.

The previous administration under President Joe Biden had taken limited military action to curb Houthi attacks. However, U.S. officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump has adopted a more aggressive strategy.

According to military officials, Saturday’s strikes were carried out by aircraft from the USS Harry S. Truman, positioned in the Red Sea.

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees American forces in the Middle East, described the operation as part of a broad military campaign.

“Attacks on U.S. ships and personnel will not be tolerated, and Iran has been put on notice,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media. “We will restore freedom of navigation.”

Trump signaled that more severe action could follow. “If these attacks continue, we will use overwhelming lethal force until our objectives are achieved,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Houthis announced they would resume targeting Israeli ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. The group had temporarily paused its attacks following a ceasefire in Gaza earlier this year.

The U.S. strikes follow a recent letter from Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, seeking negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. However, Khamenei publicly rejected the offer.

Meanwhile, economic pressures in Iran are mounting, with officials expressing concern over growing public unrest, sources told Reuters.

Western governments have accused Iran of enriching uranium to levels close to weapons-grade, raising concerns over its nuclear ambitions. Iran insists its nuclear activities are for civilian purposes.

In January 2025, Trump officially re-designated Yemen’s Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, as a “foreign terrorist organization” (FTO).

(With files from Reuters)