President Trump on Saturday announced he is expanding Biden's war on the Houthis by launching "decisive and powerful military action" against Yemen that will last indefinitely until "navigational freedom" in the Red Sea is achieved.
U.S. is bombing Yemen because that’s easier to do than to get Israel to abide by the terms of a ceasefire they already agreed to https://t.co/88SIZNvEas
A U.S. official told me Saturday's strikes were not a one-off but the start of a series of relentless U.S. strikes against the Houthis that are expected to last for days or maybe even weeks https://t.co/BK7NZYm3H9
Let’s be clear that this is a war for Israel. Biden launched this bombing campaign in January 2024 in defense of Israeli shipping and you guys are now continuing it. Biden’s airstrikes didn’t deter the Houthis and only escalated the situation, these will have the same effect. https://t.co/tHJb47QBeC
President Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on the Houthi-held areas in Yemen on Saturday, promising to use "overwhelming lethal force" until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said at least 18 civilians were killed.
"Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists' bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom," Trump said in a social media post. "No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World."
He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country "fully accountable" for the actions of its proxy. It comes two weeks after the U.S. leader sent a letter to Iranian leaders offering a path to restarting bilateral talks between the countries on Iran's advancing nuclear program. Trump has said he will not allow it to become operational.
The Houthis reported explosions in their territory Saturday evening, in the capital of Sanaa and the northern province of Saada, the rebels' stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia, with more airstrikes reported in those areas early Sunday. Images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility. The Houthis also reported airstrikes early Sunday on the provinces of Hodeida, Bayda, and Marib.
At least 18 people were killed, including 13 in Sanaa and five in Saada, according to the Houthi-run health ministry. At least 24 others were wounded, including nine in Sanaa and 15 in Saada, it said.
A U.S. official said this was the beginning of air strikes on Houthi targets that are expected to continue. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the press.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the airstrikes won't deter them and they would retaliate against the U.S. "Sanaa will remain Gaza's shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges," he added on social media.
Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X, called Trump's claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes "false and misleading."
The Houthis issued the following statement in response to the strikes:
The American airstrikes on Yemen are an open aggression against an independent state and serve as encouragement for the Zionist enemy to persist in its unjust siege on Gaza.
The claims made by the American president about an alleged threat to international navigation in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are false and misleading to global public opinion.
The maritime siege announced by Yemen in support of Gaza exclusively targets 'Israeli' shipping ensuring that humanitarian aid reaches the people of Gaza as per the ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance and the Zionist entity. The Yemeni siege was imposed only after a four-day deadline given to mediators.
The Saudis tried the same thing with America's backing for years and it didn't work. The Houthis eventually brought the Saudis to heel through guerilla warfare, endless small-scale drone strikes and one massive drone strike on Saudi Aramco's oil production facilities in Sept 2019.