President Donald Trump launched large-scale air strikes on Yemen’s capital city of Sanaa on Saturday, in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping routes, killing at least 24 people. This is the start of what is expected to be a campaign that will last for several days—or weeks.
In addition to the strikes, Trump warned Iran, the Houthis’ main state backer, that it needed to cease its support for the group, otherwise “America will hold you fully accountable and we won’t be nice about it!”
To the Houthis themselves, Trump issued a message on his Truth Social platform, writing, “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!”
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The strikes represent the largest U.S. military operation since Trump took office in January, and come as the U.S. increases pressure on Iran over its nuclear program.
At least 13 civilians were killed, and nine injured, in strikes on Yemen’s capital city of Sanaa. At least 11 others, including four children and one woman, were killed, and 14 injured, in a strike on the northern province of Saada.
The Houthis’ political bureau described the attacks as a war crime and said in a statement, “Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation.”
The group has launched several attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, in what it characterizes as a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza affected by the Israel-Hamas war.
A Pentagon spokesperson said the Houthis have attacked U.S. warships 174 times, and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023.
As part of Trump’s ongoing efforts to align the U.S. with Russia, Reuters reports that secretary of state Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to inform him of the president’s plans. Russia enjoys what has been described as “a growing and unprecedented level of cooperation” with Iran in regard to the supply of weaponry.
