Donald Trump launches wave of air strikes on Yemen’s Houthis

The US has launched a “decisive and highly effective” wave of air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, President Donald Trump has mentioned, citing the armed group’s assaults on transport within the Purple Sea as the explanation.

“Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US plane, and focused our Troops and Allies,” Trump wrote on his Fact social platform, including that their “piracy, violence, and terrorism” had value “billions of {dollars}” and put lives in danger.

The Houthi-run well being ministry mentioned not less than 13 folks had been killed and 9 others injured within the strikes.

The group – which started concentrating on transport in response to the Israel-Hamas struggle in Gaza – mentioned its forces would reply to US strikes.

In an announcement, the Houthis blamed the US and the UK for “depraved” aggression concentrating on residential areas within the Yemeni capital, Sanaa – although it’s understood that the UK was not behind Saturday’s strikes on the Center Japanese nation.

The Iranian-backed insurgent group, which considers Israel its enemy. It controls Sanaa and the north-west of Yemen, however it isn’t the nation’s internationally-recognised authorities.

For the reason that begin of the struggle between Israel and Hamas, it has launched a whole bunch of assaults on business vessels travelling by means of the Purple Sea.

These assaults, Trump mentioned, “won’t be tolerated”.

“We are going to use overwhelming deadly power till we’ve achieved our goal.”

Initially, the group mentioned it was attacking ships linked with, or that had docked in, Israel. Nonetheless, most of the vessels haven’t any reference to Israel.

Trump mentioned that it had been greater than a yr since a US-flagged ship had sailed safely by means of the Suez Canal – which the Purple Sea results in – and 4 months since a US warship had been by means of the physique of water between east Africa and the Arabian peninsula.

The Suez Canal is the quickest sea route between Asia and Europe, and is especially vital within the transportation of oil and liquefied pure gasoline (LNG).

Addressing the Houthis instantly, Trump wrote that if they didn’t cease, “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE”.

However the Houthis had been unwavering of their response, saying the aggression wouldn’t wane their assist for Palestinians.

“This aggression won’t go with out response and our Yemeni armed forces are able to reply escalation with additional escalation,” the group mentioned.

In the meantime, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth mentioned that the Houthi’s “benefactor”, Iran, was “on discover”.

For greater than a yr, main transport firms had been compelled to cease utilizing the Purple Sea – by means of which nearly 15% of world seaborne commerce normally passes – and used a for much longer route round southern Africa as an alternative.

The Houthis launched 190 assaults within the Purple Sea between November 2023 and October 2024, based on the US Congress.

Beforehand, the UK and US performed joint naval and air strikes in opposition to the group. Israel has additionally focused websites linked to the Houthis in separate strikes.

Trump urged Iran to stop its assist for the Houthis, warning that Washington would maintain Tehran “absolutely accountable and, we can’t be good about it”.

He additionally accused the earlier White Home administration, below Joe Biden, of being “pathetically weak” and permitting the “unrestrained Houthis” to maintain going.