US President Donald Trump warned Iran that Yemeni Houtis will face “disastrous” consequences if they continue to attack international shipping vehicles.
He said the Iranian leader would be responsible for “all shots fired by the Houtis.” The group later said it had targeted US aircraft carriers three times over the past two days.
Houthis attempted to attack USS Harry Truman in the Red Sea on Sunday following a fatal US strike in Yemen.
The Pentagon said it is the largest US military operation in the Middle East since Trump returned to the White House, and has hit 30 targets in Yemen since Saturday.
Trump posted on his Truth Social Platform on Monday.
“And Iran will take responsibility, suffer from consequences, and those consequences are miserable!”
The US president accused Iran of providing funds, weapons and intelligence to the group.
In a letter to the UN Security Council on Monday, Iran’s UN envoy denied it violated the UN arms embargo against Yemen and said it was not involved in unstable activities in the region.
Ambassador Amir Said Irabani has accused the US of “bassador” against Iran, according to a report by Reuters.
During a briefing Monday, Pentagon officials said the US attack on Yemen was directed at a wider range of targets than the strike approved under former President Joe Biden.
Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich said Houthi drone experts were among those targeted.
He added, “There were no reliable signs of civilian casualties.”
Washington says some important Houthi figures are among the dead, but the group has not confirmed this.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the US is not seeking a change of administration.
“This campaign will diminish their capabilities, open local transport lanes and protect their hometowns,” he said.
On Sunday morning, Houthis launched a drone and missile targeting the USS Harry S Truman.
The US fighter planes shot down around 11 of the drone, US officials told the BBC’s US partner CBS.
Houthis also fired a ballistic missile that hit the USS Harry S Truman’s considerable water, officials added.
On Monday, the group said it launched its third attack on the ship in just 48 hours.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to the BBC when asked about the group’s latest claims. Pentagon officials denied that one missile was fired on the ship early on Monday by a Houthi attack that had missed more than 100 miles (160km), denying that one of the Houthi attacks was a success.
Houthis said at least five children are among the 53 people killed in US airstrikes in Yemen’s Al Jauf and Hudaydah regions.
The US also launched airstrikes on the group on Saturday and Sunday.
Houthis said it will continue to target transport in the Red Sea until Israel lifts its blockade in Gaza.
The group often mistakenly claims that they only target ships related to Israel, the US or the UK in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Since November 2023, Houthis has sunk two ships, seized a third, and killed four crew members.
The group controls Sanaa and the northwest of Yemen, but that is not the country’s internationally recognized government.
