Trump launches large-scale strikes on Houthis in Yemen
Trump launches large-scale strikes on Houthis in Yemen
At least thirty-one were killed and one hundred injured during a large-scale strike on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday in the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since President Trump took office.
In a lengthy post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Donald Trump explained that the “decisive and powerful military action” he had ordered against the Houthi was linked to the armed group’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The US President said the Houthis “have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.”
“These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and world economy many billions of dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” he added.
– President Trump has ordered heavy strikes against Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
Trump – "The Houthis must raise a white flag and then we will stop the attacks"
Images and videos show strikes in several parts of Houthi-controlled territory. Death Toll rises to 40… pic.twitter.com/3p2LYBeyBi
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The Informant (@theinformant_x) March 16, 2025
In a statement, the Houthis argued that the strikes had targeted residential areas in Yemen. “This aggression will not go without response and our Yemeni armed forces are ready to answer with further escalation,” the armed group said.
Navigational freedom at stake
Houthi rebels control parts of Yemen but are not the country’s officially recognised government. They have been attacking various nations’ commercial ships off Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023, as a means of pressuring Israel to end its war against Hamas in Gaza.
In his post on Truth Social, Trump accussed the Biden administration of a “pathetically weak response” to the Houthi attacks.
“It has been over a year since a U.S. flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times,” Trump wrote.
“The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important waterways of the world, grinding vast swaths of global commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends,” he commented.
CENTCOM Forces Launch Large Scale Operation Against Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen
On March 15, U.S. Central Command initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and… pic.twitter.com/u5yx8WneoG
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2025
Trump’s warning to the Houthis and Iran
The US President warned that the Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” he pledged.
In concluding his post, Trump urged Iran to immediately stop supporting the Houthis, or “America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it.”
In response to Trump’s warning, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X that “the United States Government has no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy. That era ended in 1979.”
“End support for Israeli genocide and terrorism. Stop killing of Yemeni people,” Araghchi countered.
According to the CNN, more action against the Houthis is expected “over the next several weeks.”