President Donald Trump announced that he had ordered airstrikes targeting Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Saturday, vowing to continue using “overwhelming lethal force” until the Iran-backed rebels cease their attacks on ships navigating a crucial maritime route. According to the Houthis, the strikes resulted in the deaths of at least 18 civilians.
“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump stated in a social media post. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”
Trump also issued a stern warning to Iran, demanding that it stop providing support to the Houthi rebels. He promised to hold Iran “fully accountable” for its role in backing the group. His decision to take military action follows a recent attempt to engage Iran diplomatically. Two weeks earlier, he had sent a letter to Iranian leaders proposing renewed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, which he has repeatedly insisted he will not allow to become operational.
The airstrikes took place on Saturday evening, targeting multiple Houthi strongholds, including the capital Sanaa and Saada province in the north, which borders Saudi Arabia. Additional strikes were reported early Sunday in those regions, along with attacks in the provinces of Hodeida, Bayda, and Marib. Images circulating online depicted plumes of black smoke rising over the Sanaa airport complex, an area that includes a large military installation.
The Houthi-run health ministry reported that at least 18 people were killed in the attacks—13 in Sanaa and five in Saada. Additionally, 24 others sustained injuries, with nine wounded in Sanaa and 15 in Saada.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, indicated that these airstrikes were just the beginning of an ongoing military operation targeting Houthi positions. The official did not specify how long the campaign would last.
Despite the strikes, Houthi officials maintained that they would not back down. Nasruddin Amer, the deputy head of the group’s media office, stated that the airstrikes would not deter them and vowed retaliation against the United States. “Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” Amer wrote in a social media post.
Mohamed Abdulsalam, another Houthi spokesman, dismissed Trump’s claims that the rebels posed a threat to international shipping routes, calling them “false and misleading” in a post on X.
The latest escalation follows a statement from the Houthis days earlier in which they declared their intent to resume targeting Israeli vessels sailing near Yemen. They cited Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza as their reason for renewing hostilities. Their warning covered a wide geographical area, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Arabian Sea.
However, no additional Houthi attacks have been reported since that announcement.
Earlier in the month, Israel had suspended the flow of aid into Gaza and warned of “additional consequences” for Hamas if the fragile ceasefire between the two sides was not extended. Talks are ongoing about entering a second phase of the ceasefire agreement.
Between late 2023—when the war between Israel and Hamas erupted—and January of this year, when the ceasefire was put in place, the Houthis had carried out attacks on over 100 merchant vessels. These assaults, which included the use of missiles and drones, led to the sinking of two ships and the deaths of four sailors. The Houthis targeted both military and civilian ships during this period.
The attacks have helped the group raise its international profile even as Yemen remains locked in a prolonged and devastating war. The country, the poorest in the Arab world, has faced years of conflict and humanitarian crises.
Following Saturday’s U.S. strikes, the Houthi media office claimed that a residential area in Sanaa’s northern Shouab district was among the targets. Residents described scenes of devastation, with at least four powerful explosions hitting the Eastern Geraf neighborhood. Women and children were reportedly terrified by the blasts.
“The explosions were very strong,” said Abdallah al-Alffi, a local resident. “It was like an earthquake.”
Eastern Geraf is known to house key Houthi military facilities as well as the group’s political headquarters. These sites are located within a densely populated part of the city.
Later on Saturday, the Houthis reported additional airstrikes in Yemen’s southwestern Dhamar province. According to their statements, the strikes hit areas on the outskirts of the provincial capital, also named Dhamar, as well as the district of Abs.
The U.S., along with Israel and the United Kingdom, has previously launched military strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. However, Israel’s military declined to comment on Saturday’s operation.
A U.S. official confirmed that this latest strike campaign was conducted solely by the U.S. military. It marks the first time Trump has ordered an attack against the Yemen-based Houthis since the start of his second term.
Broad missile strikes like these were also carried out under the Biden administration. They were launched in response to repeated Houthi attacks on both commercial and military vessels operating in the region.
Saturday’s air operation was supported by the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group. The group, stationed in the Red Sea, consists of the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman, three Navy destroyers, and one cruiser. The USS Georgia, a guided-missile submarine, has also been deployed in the region.
Trump revealed the military action 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,” he wrote in a social media post.
The situation remains fluid, with expectations that U.S. airstrikes will continue in an effort to suppress further Houthi attacks on international shipping. However, with the Houthis promising retaliation, the risk of further escalation in the region remains high.