The White House launched images of President Donald Trump watching strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday, because the large-scale U.S. operation towards the terrorist group continues.
“President Trump is taking motion towards the Houthis to defend US delivery property and deter terrorist threats,” the White Home wrote on X, sharing images of Trump, in addition to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Nationwide Safety Adviser Mike Waltz. “For too lengthy American financial & nationwide threats have been underneath assault by the Houthis. Not underneath this presidency.”
Trump seemed to be wearing golf apparel and was carrying his signature crimson baseball cap along with his title emblazoned on the again whereas watching video of the strikes on a tv display.
One other photograph confirmed the president from the entrance with a black headset on.
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President Trump is taking motion towards the Houthis to defend U.S. delivery property and deter terrorist threats, the White Home posted on X on March 15, 2025. (The White Home)
Trump wrote in a Saturday TRUTHSocial publish that he had “ordered the US Navy to launch decisive and highly effective Navy motion towards the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.”
“Our courageous Warfighters are proper now finishing up aerial assaults on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to guard American delivery, air, and naval property, and to revive Navigational Freedom,” Trump mentioned. “No terrorist power will cease American business and naval vessels from freely crusing the Waterways of the World.”
U.S. Central Command mentioned Saturday it “initiated a collection of operations consisting of precision strikes towards Iran-backed Houthi targets throughout Yemen to defend American pursuits, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.”
State Division spokeswoman Tammy Bruce mentioned in a press release that Rubio spoke with Russian International Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday.
“The Secretary knowledgeable Russia of U.S. army deterrence operations towards the Iran-backed Houthis and emphasised that continued Houthi assaults on U.S. army and business delivery vessels within the Pink Sea won’t be tolerated,” Bruce wrote. “Secretary Rubio and International Minister Lavrov additionally mentioned subsequent steps to observe up on latest conferences in Saudi Arabia and agreed to proceed working in the direction of restoring communication between the US and Russia.”
The Houthi-run Well being Ministry in Yemen mentioned the strikes killed at the least 31 individuals, in response to the Related Press.
President Trump is taking motion towards the Houthis to defend U.S. delivery property and deter terrorist threats, the White Home posted on X on March 15, 2025. (The White Home)
The Houthis have repeatedly focused worldwide delivery within the Pink Sea and launched missiles and drones at Israel in what the terrorist group mentioned had been acts of solidarity with the Palestinians within the Gaza Strip, the place Israel has been at battle with Hamas, one other Iranian ally. The assaults stopped when a fragile Israel-Hamas cease-fire took maintain in Gaza in January. The Houthis then threatened to resume them after Israel lower off the stream of humanitarian assist to Gaza this month following the Hamas rejection of a U.S. framework for persevering with the cease-fire and hostage releases.
The U.S. and others have lengthy accused Iran of offering army assist to the Houthis, and the U.S. Navy has seized Iranian-made missile elements and different weaponry it mentioned had been certain for the terrorist group, which controls Yemen’s capital of Sanaa and the nation’s north. Gen. Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, denied his nation was concerned within the Houthis’ assaults.
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Iranian International Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a publish on X, urged the U.S. to halt the strikes and mentioned Washington can’t dictate Iran’s international coverage.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio seems in a photograph shared by the White Home on March 15, 2025. (The White Home)
Trump mentioned, “The Houthi assault on American vessels won’t be tolerated. We’ll use overwhelming deadly power till we have now achieved our goal. The Houthis have choked off delivery in probably the most necessary Waterways of the World, grinding huge swaths of International Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core precept of Freedom of Navigation upon which Worldwide Commerce and Commerce relies upon.”
Trump charged that the Houthis “have waged an unrelenting marketing campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism towards American, and different, ships, plane, and drones.”
“Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis simply saved going,” he wrote on TRUTHSocial.
Trump mentioned it has been greater than a 12 months since a U.S.-flagged business ship safely sailed by means of the Suez Canal, the Pink Sea, or the Gulf of Aden.
“The final American Warship to undergo the Pink Sea, 4 months in the past, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen instances. Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at U.S. plane, and focused our Troops and Allies. These relentless assaults have value the U.S. and World Economic system many BILLIONS of {Dollars} whereas, on the similar time, placing harmless lives in danger,” Trump wrote.
Nationwide Safety Adviser Mike Waltz seems in a photograph shared by the White Home on March 15, 2025. (The White Home)
“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!” Trump mentioned.
The president added, “To Iran: Assist for the Houthi terrorists should finish IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American Folks, their President, who has obtained one of many largest mandates in Presidential Historical past, or Worldwide delivery lanes. In the event you do, BEWARE, as a result of America will maintain you absolutely accountable and, we received’t be good about it!”
The Houthis have focused over 100 service provider vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two and killing 4 sailors, throughout their marketing campaign concentrating on army and civilian ships between the beginning of the Israel-Hamas battle in October 2023 and January of this 12 months, when the ceasefire in Gaza took impact, in response to the AP.
The U.S., Israel and Britain have beforehand hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, however Saturday’s operation was performed solely by the U.S. It was the primary strike on the Houthis underneath the second Trump administration.
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It comes two weeks after Trump despatched a letter to Iranian leaders providing a path to restarting bilateral talks between the nations on Iran’s advancing nuclear program. Trump has mentioned he won’t enable it to turn into operational.
The Trump administration re-designated the Houthis as a international terrorist group earlier this month, after the Biden administration had lifted the group’s designation in 2021.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
