In West Palm Beach, President Donald Trump declared a series of airstrikes targeting areas held by the Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday. This action marks a significant move against the Iran-backed group, with Trump promising to exert “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthi attacks on shipping in a key maritime channel cease. The Houthis have reported that at least 31 individuals lost their lives in the strikes.
“Our courageous Warfighters are currently executing aerial attacks targeting the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses,” Trump stated on social media. The intention, he said, is to safeguard American shipping, air, and naval assets and to reestablish Navigational Freedom. Trump emphasized that no terrorist entity will restrain American commercial and naval ships from navigating global waterways.
Trump also issued a stern warning to Iran, urging the nation to cease its support of the Houthis and holding it fully accountable for its proxy’s acts. This development follows roughly two weeks after Trump extended an offer to Iranian leaders to restart dialogues regarding Iran’s advancing nuclear program, stating his refusal to see it operational.
Reports from the Houthis noted explosions in their controlled territories on Saturday evening, notably in the capital, Sanaa, and Saada, a northern province considered a stronghold along the Saudi Arabian border. Further airstrikes continued early Sunday in areas such as Hodeida, Bayda, and Marib. Online images showed billowing black smoke over the Sanaa airport complex, including a vast military installation.
The Houthi-controlled Health Ministry reported a rising death toll early Sunday, indicating 31 fatalities, which include women and children. Anees al-Asbahi, a representative for the ministry, disclosed Sunday that an additional 101 individuals were injured.
An unnamed U.S. official stated that this marks the initial phase of anticipated ongoing airstrikes on Houthi targets. The source, preferring anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak to the press, conveyed this information.
Nasruddin Amer, a senior member of the Houthi media office, vowed resilience against the airstrikes, promising retaliation on the United States. “Sanaa will remain a protective and supportive stance toward Gaza, undeterred by adversities,” he proclaimed on social media. Meanwhile, Mohamed Abdulsalam, another spokesman, refuted Trump’s assertions about the Houthis threatening international shipping routes as “false and misleading.”
These airstrikes followed just days after the Houthis threatened to renew attacks on Israeli vessels navigating off Yemen, reacting to Israel’s recent blockades on Gaza. The warning extended to regions like the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Arabian Sea. No Houthi attacks have been reported following these threats.
Earlier this month, Israel halted aid to Gaza, cautioning of “additional consequences” for Hamas if their fragile ceasefire wasn’t extended amid ongoing talks concerning a possible second phase. Throughout their campaign from the conflict’s inception between Israel and Hamas in late 2023 to January this year when the Gaza ceasefire became active, the Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels, sinking two and causing four sailor fatalities.
These activities heightened the Houthis’ international recognition amid their domestic struggles during Yemen’s protracted, stalemated conflict, inflicting severe damage on the impoverished Arab nation.
Reporting from the Houthi media office indicated that the U.S. strikes targeted a residential segment in Sanaa’s northern district, Shouab. At least four airstrikes shook the Eastern Geraf neighborhood, frightening local residents, especially women and children.
“The explosions were extremely intense, akin to an earthquake,” said Abdallah al-Alffi. The Eastern Geraf vicinity houses Houthi military facilities and a complex for their political bureau, located within a densely populated area. Fresh assaults were recorded Saturday in Dhamar province, targeting the outskirts of its namesake capital and the Abs district.
Historically, the United States, Israel, and Britain have attacked Houthi-held areas in Yemen, though Israel’s military abstained from commenting on this occasion. The Saturday operation was exclusively American, a U.S. official confirmed, marking the first strike on Yemen’s Houthis under Trump’s renewed administration.
The Biden administration had executed similar extensive missile strikes on the Houthis in reaction to consistent Houthi attacks on civilian and military ships in the area. As of Saturday, the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, featuring the carrier, three Navy destroyers, and one cruiser, was stationed in the Red Sea as part of the operation, with operations extending to the USS Georgia cruise missile submarine in the region.
Trump shared news of the attacks during his day spent at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. He remarked on the economic repercussions of the Houthi threats, stating, “These relentless attacks have already incurred BILLIONS in costs on the U.S. and the global economy, endangering countless innocent lives.”
