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 Hooty rebels ceased attacks on shipments along the critical maritime corridors.
Houthis reported a series of explosions on the territory on Saturday evening. Images circulating online show a black smoke plume in the area of Sana’a Airport Complex, which includes a vast military facility. The extent of the damage was not yet clear.
“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 rebel groups and pledged to retain a country “fully accountable” for its deputy actions.
Houthi-Run Health Ministry spokesman Anees Al-Asbahi said at least 31 people have been killed and 101 have been injured in the US strike, Anees Al-Asbahi said in the latest toll on Sunday.
Another strike at a power plant in Dahyan town in Saada led to a blackout, Al Masila’s television reported earlier on Sunday.
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.
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 until January this year, when a tenuous ceasefire in Gaza took effect in late 2023.
The attacks raised a great Housis profile as they launched a crackdown targeting dissent and aid workers at home amid a decade-long standstill war in Yemen, which has torn off the poorest nation in the Arab world.
The United States, Israel and the United Kingdom have previously attacked areas owned by Hooty in Yemen. Israeli military declined to comment.
The Houthi Media Office said the US strike had hit a “residential area” in Sana’a’s northern district.
According to US officials, Saturday’s operation against Houthis was carried out by the US alone. 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.
USS Harry’s Truman Carrier Strike Group included the 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.
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 and at the same time put innocent lives at risk,” Trump said.
Trump also warned Iran, the main supporter of Houthis, that it would need to immediately halt support for the group. He said if Iran threatened the US, “America will take full responsibility for you and we won’t be good about it!”
The commander-in-chief of Iran’s revolutionary security guards responded on Sunday, saying that Houthis is independent and has made its own strategic and operational decisions.
“We warn the enemy that if Iran leads a threat to action, Iran will respond decisively and destructively,” Hossein Salami told state media.
Iran’s foreign ministry on Sunday condemned the US strike and said they violated international law. Ministry spokesman Esmaeiru Bakaei in a statement that he “strongly condemned the brutal atmosphere attacks by the United Nations Charter,” condemned them for “a serious violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged the US to stop the strike against Yemen’s Houtis, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Lavrov said he spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the phone.
Associated Press and Reuters
