The US has launched a “decisive and highly effective” wave of air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen, President Donald Trump has stated, 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 stated not less than 31 individuals have been killed and 101 others have been injured within the strikes.
The group – which started focusing on transport in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza – stated its forces would reply to US strikes.
The Houthis reported a sequence of explosions on Saturday night in Sanaa and within the northern province of Saada – the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia.
The Iranian-backed insurgent group, which considers Israel its enemy, controls Sanaa and the north-west of Yemen, however it isn’t the nation’s internationally-recognised authorities.
Unverified photographs present plumes of black smoke over the world of Sanaa’s airport – which features a navy facility.
In a press release, the Houthis blamed the US and the UK for “depraved” aggression focusing on residential areas within the Yemeni capital, Sanaa – although it’s understood that the UK didn’t take part in Saturday’s US strikes in opposition to the Houthi targets but it surely did present routine refuelling help for the US.
Getty PicturesThese assaults, Trump stated, “is not going to be tolerated”.
He added: “We’ll use overwhelming deadly power till we have now achieved our goal.”
Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi stated the US authorities had “no authority, or enterprise, dictating Iranian international coverage”.
“Finish help for Israeli genocide and terrorism,” he posted on X on Sunday. “Cease killing of Yemeni individuals.”
The Houthis have stated they’re performing in help of the Palestinians within the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and have claimed – usually falsely – that they’re focusing on ships solely linked to Israel, the US or the UK.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have focused dozens of service provider vessels with missiles, drones and small boat assaults within the Purple Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They’ve sunk two vessels, seized a 3rd, and killed 4 crew members.
The group has not been deterred by the deployment of Western warships to guard service provider vessels, or by a number of rounds of US and British air strikes on its navy targets.
Israel has additionally carried out air strikes in opposition to the Houthis since July in retaliation for the 400 missiles and drones that the Israeli navy stated had been launched on the nation from Yemen, most of which have been shot down.
Main transport firms have been compelled to cease utilizing the Purple Sea – by which nearly 15% of worldwide seaborne commerce normally passes – and use a for much longer route round southern Africa as an alternative.
Trump stated that it had been greater than a yr since a US-flagged ship had sailed safely by the Suez Canal – which the Purple Sea results in – and 4 months since a US warship had been by 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 fuel (LNG).
Addressing the Houthis immediately, Trump wrote that if they didn’t cease, “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE”.
However the Houthis have been unwavering of their response, saying the aggression wouldn’t wane their help for Palestinians.
“This aggression is not going to go with out response and our Yemeni armed forces are able to reply escalation with additional escalation,” the group stated.
In the meantime, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the Houthi’s “benefactor”, Iran, was “on discover”.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio additionally mentioned navy deterrence operations in opposition to the Houthis when he spoke with Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday.
Rubio emphasised that “continued Houthi assaults on US navy and business transport vessels within the Purple Sea is not going to be tolerated”, a State Division spokesperson stated.
The Houthis launched 190 assaults within the Purple Sea between November 2023 and October 2024, in response to the US Congress.
Beforehand, the UK and US performed joint naval and air strikes against the group. Israel has additionally focused websites linked to the Houthis in separate strikes.
Trump urged Iran to stop its help 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, beneath Joe Biden, of being “pathetically weak” and permitting the “unrestrained Houthis” to maintain going.
