At least 31 people were killed as US President
Donald Trump ordered large-scale military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis on Saturday, according to Reuters. The action follows the group's attacks on Red Sea shipping, which Trump vowed to stop, warning that "hell will rain down" on the Houthis if they continue.
"To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP," Trump announced on X post.
Why did the US strike the Houthis?
The Houthis have been targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and other key maritime routes since late 2023.
They claim these attacks are in response to Israel’s blockade on Gaza. Despite a ceasefire in Gaza, the Houthis recently warned they would resume strikes on Israeli-linked ships.
What did Trump say?
Trump justified the strikes as necessary to protect global trade and US assets, stating, “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.” He also warned Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, to cease its support, threatening to hold Tehran “fully accountable.”
Trump also criticised his predecessor,
Joe Biden, for what he called a "pathetically weak" response to the Houthi threat.
Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going. It has been over a year since a US-flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. The last American warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times. Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US aircraft and targeted our Troops and Allies. These relentless assaults have cost the US and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.
Donald Trump
Who are the Houthis?
The Houthis, formally known as Ansar Allah, are an armed political and religious group representing Yemen’s Zaidi Shia minority. They align with Iran’s "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US, and the West, alongside Hamas and Hezbollah.
Founded in the 1990s by Hussein al-Houthi, the group fought Yemen’s government in the early 2000s. During the 2011 Arab Spring, they capitalized on unrest, seizing northern territory and, by 2015, much of western Yemen, forcing President Hadi to flee.
Fearing Iranian influence, Saudi Arabia led a coalition against them, but years of war failed to dislodge them. A UN-brokered truce has been in place since April 2022, though the conflict has killed over 160,000 people and displaced millions.
Where did the strikes hit?
The airstrikes targeted Houthi-controlled areas, including: - Sanaa – Explosions were reported at the Sanaa airport complex, a known military site.
- Saada – The Houthis' northern stronghold near the Saudi border.
- Dhamar and Abs – New strikes were reported in these southwestern regions.
- Eastern Geraf – A densely populated district in Sanaa, home to Houthi military facilities. Residents described the blasts as "like an earthquake."
Houthis respond
Houthi officials vowed to retaliate, calling the US strikes an act of aggression. They denied that their actions threaten international shipping and reaffirmed their support for Gaza.
Significance of these strikes
- This marks the "first US strike on the Houthis under Trump’s second administration" but follows similar actions by the previous Biden administration.
- The operation involved the "USS Harry S Truman carrier strike group", a fleet of Navy destroyers, a cruiser, and the USS Georgia missile submarine.
- Apart from the US, British and Israeli operations have also targeted Houthi positions in Yemen.
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