U.S. forces on Saturday launched major strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, President Trump said, as he warned the Iran-backed terrorist group that it must stop all attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea or “hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before.”
The American strikes reportedly hit Houthi radars, as well as the group’s missiles and drones used to target commercial ships for well over a year. The attacks reportedly were concentrated near Yemen’s capital city, Sanaa, which is controlled by the Houthis.
Mr. Trump delivered an explicit warning to Tehran in a lengthy Truth Social post detailing the strikes.
“To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes,” he said. “If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and we won’t be nice about it!”
Those comments come as the Trump administration appears open to a diplomatic deal to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but the president has made clear that military options remain on the table to prevent Tehran from acquiring an atomic bomb. Israel also reportedly is weighing direct strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.
The latest strikes appear to be the most significant U.S. military action abroad since Mr. Trump took office on Jan. 20. He warned the Houthis that more bombing will come if they don’t stop their aggression.
“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” the president said on social media. “The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.”
He added, “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!”
Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-run health ministry in Yemen, said at least nine people were killed and another nine wounded in the strikes. But the group said the U.S. operation will not deter them.
“Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” said Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, referring to the Houthis’ strong support for the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, which is based in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthis have targeted commercial ships in and around the Red Sea since Oct. 7, 2023, when another Iran-backed terror group, Hamas, attacked Israel. Since January 2024, the U.S. has led an air campaign targeting the Houthis in Yemen, though the attempted Houthi strikes against Israel and on commercial ships continued.
The Houthis had targeted more than 100 ships, including U.S. vessels, with missiles and drones. The terrorists scaled back attacks in recent months amid the U.S.-backed Israel-Hamas ceasefire push.
But the Yemen-based militants this week warned that “any Israeli vessel” traveling through Midwest waters would again be targeted. There were fears that American military ships, along with commercial ships in the region, would again come under fire from the Islamists.
Some lawmakers praised Saturday’s strikes and said they sent a strong message to Iran.
“I applaud the president’s decisive action in Yemen,” said Sen. James Risch, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
“With Iran’s support, the Houthis have operated with impunity for far too long, attacked American sailors, attacked Israel, and have shut down Red Sea shipping and passed costs to Americans. From maximum pressure to dismantling Iran’s proxies, President Trump has made good on his promise to reverse Biden’s failed Middle East policies,” the Idaho Republican said in a statement. “His decisive action today sends a clear message to the Iranian regime that its terrorists can no longer dominate the Middle East.”
