Washington/Aden: U.S. President Donald Trump has launched extensive military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces in response to their attacks on Red Sea shipping. The strikes, which began on Saturday, resulted in at least 24 casualties and mark the beginning of a military campaign expected to continue for an extended period.
Trump also issued a stern warning to Iran, the Houthis’ primary backer, demanding an immediate end to its support for the group. “America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it!” he stated.
Donald Trump launched military strikes against Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis over the group's attacks on Red Sea shipping, warning ‘hell will rain down upon you' https://t.co/z5XrL1exn2 pic.twitter.com/fn5jBwVZiU
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 16, 2025
Escalating Military Action
The strikes represent the largest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since Trump assumed office in January. U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, suggested that the strikes could persist for weeks. The campaign aligns with Washington’s broader strategy of increasing economic and diplomatic pressure on Tehran to curb its nuclear program.
“To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Civilian Casualties and Houthi Response
According to the Houthi-run health ministry, U.S. strikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, killed at least 13 civilians and injured nine others. In a separate attack on Saada province, Al-Masirah TV reported 11 additional deaths, including four children and one woman, with 14 more wounded. The Houthis condemned the airstrikes as a “war crime” and vowed retaliation.
“Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation,” the group declared in a statement.
Residents in Sanaa reported powerful explosions in a Houthi-controlled area. “The explosions were violent and shook the neighborhood like an earthquake. They terrified our women and children,” said Abdullah Yahia, a local resident.
Meanwhile, a separate strike on a power station in Dahyan, Saada province, caused a power outage. Dahyan is known as a key meeting location for Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi.
The Houthi Threat in the Red Sea
The Houthis, who have controlled much of Yemen for the past decade, have launched multiple attacks on shipping vessels since November 2023. These attacks have disrupted global trade and forced shipping companies to seek alternative, longer routes around Africa.
The Pentagon reports that the Houthis have targeted U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023. The group claims its attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
Despite the United States’ prior efforts to curb Houthi aggression, previous administrations, including that of President Joe Biden, had opted for a more restrained approach. However, Trump has now authorized an escalated military response.
Large-Scale Operation Across Yemen
Saturday’s strikes involved fighter aircraft from the USS Harry S. Truman, deployed in the Red Sea. The U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, described the strikes as the opening phase of a broader military campaign.
“Houthi attacks on American ships & aircraft (and our troops!) will not be tolerated; and Iran, their benefactor, is on notice,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on X.
Trump reiterated the U.S. resolve, saying, “The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.”
Iran’s Reaction and Nuclear Tensions
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi condemned the U.S. strikes, stating that Washington had “no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy.”
“End support for Israeli genocide and terrorism. Stop killing of Yemeni people,” Araqchi wrote on X.
The United States Government has no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy.
— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) March 16, 2025
That era ended in 1979.
Biden was last year bamboozled into HANDING OVER UNPRECEDENTED 23 BILLION DOLLARS TO A GENOCIDAL REGIME. More than 60,000 Palestinians killed and the world…
Iran’s mission to the United Nations has yet to respond to the developments.
Tensions escalated further following the Houthis’ recent announcement of renewed attacks on Israeli-linked shipping routes, effectively ending a brief period of relative calm after a Gaza ceasefire in January.
The strikes also followed a diplomatic move by Trump, who had sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing nuclear negotiations. However, Khamenei rejected the offer outright.
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Meanwhile, concerns grow in Tehran over potential mass protests driven by economic hardships, according to Iranian officials. Additionally, Iran’s military capabilities have reportedly weakened following Israeli strikes on key Iranian defense sites last year.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has warned that Iran is now enriching uranium at levels close to weapons-grade purity, raising further tensions with Western states. While Tehran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, Western nations argue there is no civilian justification for such enrichment levels.
U.S.-Russia Dialogue Amid Conflict
In a move seen as part of broader U.S. diplomatic engagements, Secretary of State Marco Rubio held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, informing him of the U.S. strikes in Yemen.
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The discussion highlights the complex geopolitical landscape, with Russia relying on Iranian-provided weaponry in its war against Ukraine, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
