Donald Trump Initiates Series of Air Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthis

President Donald Trump has announced that the US has initiated a “decisive and powerful” series of air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, attributing the action to the group’s assaults on shipping in the Red Sea.

Trump stated on his Truth social platform that “Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have launched missiles at US aircraft, while also targeting our Troops and Allies,” emphasizing that their “piracy, violence, and terrorism” have resulted in “billions of dollars” in damages and endangerment to lives.

According to the Houthi-run health ministry, the strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least nine individuals and injuries to another nine.

The group, which has escalated its attacks on shipping in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, declared in Arab media that it would persist with its offensive operations.

The Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel faction, openly regard Israel as an adversary. They control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and parts of north-west Yemen but do not represent the internationally recognized government of the country.

Since the onset of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, the group has conducted hundreds of strikes against commercial vessels traversing the Red Sea.

Trump asserted that such attacks “will not be tolerated”.

“We will employ overwhelming lethal force until our objectives are met.”

Initially, the group claimed its attacks were focused on ships tied to or docking in Israel. However, many targeted vessels have had no links to Israel.

Trump remarked that it had been over a year since a US-flagged vessel had safely navigated the Suez Canal – which leads from the Red Sea – and that it had been four months since a US warship had sailed through the area between East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

The Suez Canal serves as the fastest maritime passage between Asia and Europe, playing a crucial role in the transport of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Addressing the Houthis directly, Trump warned that if they did not halt their actions, “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE”.

Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth noted that the Houthi’s “benefactor”, Iran, was “on notice”.

For over a year, major shipping companies had to abandon the Red Sea – through which nearly 15% of global maritime trade typically passes – opting for a significantly longer route around southern Africa instead.

According to the US Congress, the Houthis executed 190 attacks in the Red Sea from November 2023 to October 2024.

Previously, the UK and US had conducted joint naval and air strikes against the group, while Israel has carried out separate strikes targeting sites associated with the Houthis.

Trump called on Iran to withdraw its support for the Houthis, cautioning that the US would hold Tehran “fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it”.

He further criticized the prior Biden administration, characterizing it as “pathetically weak” for permitting the “unrestrained Houthis” to persist in their aggressions.