President Donald Trump ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Saturday, saying he had pledged to use “overwhelming deadly forces” until Iran-backed Houthi rebels ceased attacks on shipments along the key maritime corridors. The Houthi-run Ministry of Health said 13 civilians had been killed.
“Our brave fighters are currently carrying out air attacks on terrorist bases, leaders and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air and naval assets and restore freedom of navigation,” Trump said in a social media post.
“The terrorist forces will not stop American commercial and naval vessels from sailing freely through the waterways of the world.”
He also warned Iran to halt support the rebel groups and pledged to retain a country “fully accountable” for the actions of its deputies.
Two weeks after the US leader sent a letter to Iranian leaders, he said he would not allow Trump to run it after providing a way for the resumption of bilateral talks between nations on Iran’s advanced nuclear weapons programme.
Houthis reported a series of territorial explosions in the north of Saada, a rebel hub at the Sanaa-Saudi border on Saturday evening. Images circulating online show a black smoke plume in the area of ​​the Sana Airport Complex, which includes a vast military facility.
At least 13 people have been killed, according to Anees Al-Asbahi, a spokesman for the Houthi-Run Health Ministry. In a statement on social media, he said nine other people were injured.
US officials said this was the beginning of airstrikes on Houthi’s targets, which are expected to continue. The official spoke about the state of anonymity.
Nasruddin Amer, deputy director of the Houthi Media Office, said the airstrikes would not stop them and would retaliate against the US.
“Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it regardless of the challenge,” he added on social media.
Another X spokesman, Mohamed Abdullarsalam, alleges that the Houtis is threatening international shipping routes as “false and misleading.”
Houthis vows to resume the Red Sea attack
The airstrikes come days after the Houtis said they would resume attacks on Israeli ships sailing off Yemen in response to Israeli blockades in Gaza. No Houthi attacks have been reported since then.
Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid to Gaza and warned about Hamas’ “additional consequences” if a fragile ceasefire in the war continues to launch a second phase.
Houthis had warned that it was seizing the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab-ermandev Strait and the Arabian Sea.
Houthi rebels targeted more than 100 merchant ships with missiles and drones, sinking two ships and killing four sailors during a campaign targeting military and civilian ships after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas by January this year, when a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza took effect in late January 2023.
“It was like an earthquake.”
The attacks raised a great Houthis profile as they launched objections at home and crackdowns targeting aid workers amid a decade-long deadlock war in Yemen, which has ripped apart the poorest country in the Arab world.
The Houthi Media Office said the US strike has hit a “residential area” in Sanaa’s northern Shouab district. Sana residents said at least four airstrikes have rocked the eastern Geraf district of Shouab district, scaring women and children in the area.
“The explosion was very strong,” Abdallah al-Al-Fai said. “It was like an earthquake.”
In the eastern Geraff, there is the headquarters of the rebel Politburo, located in a densely populated area.
Houthis reported a new strike late Saturday in southwestern Dhamar. They said the strike was attacked on the outskirts of the state’s capital, also known as Damar.
The United States, Israel and the United Kingdom have previously attacked areas owned by Hooty in Yemen. Israeli military declined to comment.
However, US officials said Saturday’s operation was carried out exclusively by the US. It was the first strike against Yemen-based Huutis under the second Trump administration, and comes after a relatively quiet period in the region.
Such a widespread, pre-planned missile strike against Houthis has been carried out multiple times by the Biden administration in response to frequent Houthis attacks on regional commercial and military vessels.
The USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group included a carrier, three naval destroyers and one cruiser, located in the Red Sea and was part of the mission. The USS George Cruise missile submarine is also operated in the area.
Recent attacks on ships launched by Yemeni Hooty militia groups threaten the Suez Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes. When several shipping companies deflect the ship, their producer, Lauren Byrd, explains all its economic impact.
Trump announced his strike while spending his day at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.
“These ruthless attacks cost the US and the global economy billions of dollars, and at the same time risk innocent lives,” Trump said.
