The United States has launched "decisive and powerful military action" to end the threat posed to Red Sea shipping by Yemen's Houthi rebels, President Donald Trump said Saturday.
In a social media post that came after Houthi media reported strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa, Trump also warned that Iran must "immediately" cut support to the rebels.
"We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective," he said.
In Houthi-held Sanaa, AFP correspondents reported hearing distant explosions and al-Masirah TV said "an American-British aggression raided a residential neighborhood in the Shuub district."
The new U.S. strikes came shortly after the Houthis announced that they would target all Israeli ships in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Baba al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.
Their threat came in protest at Israel's blockade of aid into the Palestinian territory of Gaza.
Trump's statement did not reference the dispute over Israel, but focused on previous Houthi attacks on U.S. and international warships and commercial tankers.
"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!" he said.
In addition to announcing action against the Houthis, who regularly harass international shipping off Yemen's coast, Trump issued a stern warning to the group's backer.
"To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY!" he said.
"Do NOT threaten the American People, their President... or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won't be nice about it!"
Since November 2023, a month into the war between Hamas and Israel in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have waged a campaign against shipping that they say is in solidarity with Palestinians.
They have attacked ships in the key waterways of the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea with drones and missiles, saying they are targeting vessels linked to Israel, the United States and Britain.
In January, after the ceasefire was declared in Gaza, the Houthis said they would limit their attacks to vessels linked to Israel.
The attacks have disrupted commercial shipping in a zone vital for trade, and dealt huge losses to cash-strapped Egypt, which depends on the Suez Canal for foreign currency.
Earlier this month, the United States re-classified the Houthi movement as a "foreign terrorist organization," banning any U.S. interaction with the group that controls swaths of Yemen.
© 2025 AFP
33 Comments
TokyoLiving
Never surrender Houthis!!..
I'veSeenFootage
But but but "no new wars under Trump!!!"! He "loves peace"!
K3PO
Sad to see someone supporting a murderous militia who use child soldiers.
GuruMick
Wow...uses social media and puts everything in capital letters....must be serious this time.
theFu
Spending $100M on cruise missiles is fine, if they actually take out key locations and leaders. Whenever any weapon is launched by the Houthis, within 24 hours, hopefully, within 10 minutes, that location needs to be leveled for 10 blocks around the launch location. Those people need to sleep somewhere new every night and never return where they've been the last 5+ yrs. Take out communications, electricity, water, until they can't using anything except HAM radios, then jam those frequencies and use RF guided munitions to hit those places (+ 10 blocks around them).
The Houthis started a war. They have one. Congratulations.
Hit every transportation method out of Iran too. Rail, roads, ships, docks, and tunnels, if necessary. All of them. When weapons are seen leaving Iran to any other state - Russia included.
Deploy some more DDGs and CGs to that part of the world, if needed. Let Bath and Ingalls keep working hard.
Keep shipping more cruise missiles to destroyers in the area for reloads.
Trump isn't anti-war. He just won't put American boots on the ground. Planes and ships are a different thing completely.
WA4TKG
We’re coming for you
deanzaZZR
Boots on the ground?
GuruMick
The fu...nice fantasy bro....one problem....the Houthies are all underground, in tunnels , like Hamas.
As an analogy ask.... How has the Gaza campaign gone ?
Not well.
bass4funk
Good!
GuruMick
Bass...let us see if the attacks on shipping now stop.
$50 says they dont.
Deo Gratias
Trump is cleaning up another mess left behind by his weak and inept predecessor.
the_sicilian
Not a new war, but one that has been ongoing. Time to end it.
Raw Beer
Or he could just put an end to the Palestinian genocide. That is the reason the ships are attacked.
Tokyo Guy
Stuff like this usually means that they've got something really impressive cooking up and they want a neat distraction while they implement it. No idea what it could be; with this administration if you can imagine it, they'll probably do it. Repeal right to vote for non-whites? Detain journalists for writing a critical piece? The options are endless! But we need a fireworks display so the people will go "oooh, look!"
WoodyLee
Instead of addressing the cause of all wars in the middles east and it's called "Bibi the Fox " Pres. Trump chose to attack the RESULT and NOT THE CAUSE.
This might work in medical terms but at some point need to treat to CAUSE in order to control the outbreaks.
WoodyLee
Iran is not supporting the Huthis, they are arming themselves buying their weapons and technology from black markets and sources around the world including Israel's.
lincolnman
Well, you knew this was coming...
After flip-flopping on almost all of his campaign promises you know the "no new wars" lie was going to be exposed...
Stand by for military invasions of Mexico, Canada, and Greenland next...
CaptDingleheimer
This isn’t a “new war”, this is more of a law enforcement operation.
HopeSpringsEternal
Houthis being armed by Russia, Iran, and likely NK and China are indirectly involved as suppliers with weapons that have become more and more lethal.
Houthis just another front on this global destabilization that occurred due to the 2014 regional Ukraine Civil War becoming a Global Proxy War due to US Policy Change = NATO eastward expansion.
Far riskier for world than Houthis, weapons proliferation and military technology now going to NK, Iran and China as result of their 'proxy' support for Russia.
Biden Admin grossly under-estimated Russia's ability to garner global support, including BRICS and ability to destroy 'demand' for US$, and thus all currencies purchasing power of real assets = hence global inflation's been weaponized by Russia by design
GuruMick
Hope...nice thoughts but use of proxies and "regional destabilisation " has been a feature of big powers since post WW2.
CIA history in "Legacy of Ashes " an instructive read.
Costa Rica the only country with a clean nose.
GuruMick
There is a long Wiki page on the Houthis , they are comparatively recent players in attacking US, Israel and Saudi interests.
But overall, more of the same snake pit of vipers you see in ME conflicts.
I pine for the days of a traditional revolutionary army in a civil war where 2 parties only are identified.
bass4funk
Then you continue to bomb them.
Blacklabel
So the left now supports the Houthis? Typical.
itsonlyrocknroll
I really don't believe "people's" realise the importance, both politically economically, that shipping trading routes represent to the global economy?
Your cost of living, the supermarket inflationary pressures?
The Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Baba al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.
President Trump must, I suggest should without fail consider full confrontation with the Islamic extremist fundamentalists.
Hamas, Hezbollah, mostly Iran.
No options here, NOW extreme prejudice.
Paul Novax
This is the leadership the world needs to see.
Islamic terrorism should never be tolerated.
HopeSpringsEternal
Agreed, but we've not seen a major nuclear power so directly threatened and thus the real risk of WWIII.
Certainly geopolitical 'games' have been going on full-stop since the end of WWII, Houthis just another pawn on the larger chessboard.
lincolnman
New stock market highs, 9 quarters of increased GDP growth, lowering unemployment, bringing down inflation and the deficit...
Triple D has ruined all of that in just 45 days...
itsonlyrocknroll
As people we cannot avoid the inevitable, by appeasement, by the pretence of a all will be ok, a political solution, the odd missile here, their.
Only a clear milltary objective, confrontation will expel the threat of religious Islamic terrorism, extremism.
Yes many lives will be lost, sacrificed, it could be long drawn out, ugly.
However necessary.
Don't sugar coat, be totally clear.
itsonlyrocknroll
Joe Biden is yesterday's news.
Its is a worthless road to nowhere constantly "kicking to death" the previous administration.
"Democracy" is not, never has been some ideological concurred hand over, formal arrangement, between political accord entities.
What is crucial is the here and now.
Dealt confront the threat at hand.
Don't tiptoe show leadership
Paul Novax
Absolutely.
lincolnman
Wow, what a huge flip-flop - from "no new wars" to "bomb them"....
Sounds like John McCain and "bomb, bomb, bomb Iran"....
And I thought MAGA-world hated NEOCONs...
Nibek32
Trump is a war president.
lincolnman
Well, this decision by Trump does reinforce one truism...
Repub Presidents start wars in the Middle East that Dem Presidents have to get us out of...
Bush 1, Bush II, and now Trump - each thought they could step into the Middle East militarily without getting us into an endless quagmire...
Trump's promise of "no new wars"? That will age about as well as 'I'll protect the unborn", "RFK Jr is the world's biggest liberal lunatic" and "EVs are a hoax and a scam"....