Iran-Backed Houthis Issue Direct Threat To Trump After U.S. Rains Fire On Yemen – Will They Attack U.S.? News24 –

After the U.S. unleashed fury on Yemen, killing at least 31 people, Iran-backed Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi issued a direct threat to the US and President Donald Trump. The Houthis condemned the attacks as a ‘war crime’ and accused the US of targeting civilians. Nasr el-Din Amer, a spokesperson for the Houthis, said the airstrikes won’t deter them and they would retaliate against the US “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” he added on social media. NBC News reported that Nasr el-Din Amer told them exclusively, ‘We will respond to the recent escalation with further escalation,’ adding, ‘Our response will not be delayed.’ Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X, called Trump’s claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes “false and misleading.”

Airstrikes Ordered By Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump has launched the largest military operation in the Middle East since taking office, targeting Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis. Trump stated that the ‘hellfire’ was a response to the resumption of Red Sea shipping attacks. Images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility. The Houthis also reported airstrikes early Sunday on the provinces of Hodeida, Bayda, and Marib. Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israel’s latest blockade on Gaza. US has said that the warning is affecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.

The strikes, which have killed at least 31 people so far, could continue for weeks, according to a US official, and come as Trump intensifies sanctions pressure on Tehran. Explosions were reported in Sanaa and Saada, with at least 31 casualties. There are also reports suggesting more than 100 casualties.

Houthi rebels have vowed retaliation against the U.S. after President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes on rebel-controlled areas in Yemen. The Houthis condemned the attacks as a “war crime” and accused the U.S. of targeting civilians. They linked the strikes to Yemen’s support for Palestine and vowed an ‘escalation for escalation’ response. Trump announced the strikes while spending the day at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. “These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said.

Houthis Red Sea Attack

From late 2023, when the Israel-Hamas war began, until January of this year, when the ceasefire in Gaza took effect, the Houthis targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two ships and killing four sailors during their campaign against military and civilian vessels. The United States, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen. However, Saturday’s operation was conducted solely by the U.S., according to a U.S. official. It was the first strike on the Yemen-based Houthis under the second Trump administration.
The Houthis are part of what has been called the “Axis of Resistance” – an anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, backed by Iran.

Such broad-based missile strikes against the Houthis were carried out multiple times by the Biden administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region. The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, are in the Red Sea and were part of Saturday’s mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.

Has the U.S. Launched Air Strikes Before?

Such broad-based missile strikes against the Houthis were carried out multiple times by the Biden administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region. The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, are in the Red Sea and were part of Saturday’s mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.