Trump Launches Massive Airstrikes on Houthis Amid Red Sea Shipping Attacks

By IndraStra Global News Team

Cover Image Attribution: Unverified image of U.S. airstrikes on one of the dozen targets in Yemen / Source: X

President Donald Trump has declared a major military operation against Houthi rebels in Yemen, launching what he described as a "decisive and powerful" series of airstrikes in response to ongoing assaults on Red Sea shipping routes. The strikes, which began on Saturday (March 15), mark the largest U.S. military operation in the region since Trump took office in January and are expected to continue for days, if not weeks, according to U.S. officials. Trump, taking to his Truth Social platform, declared that the Iran-backed Houthis, whom he labeled as "thugs," have fired missiles at U.S. aircraft, targeted American troops and allies, and engaged in "piracy, violence, and terrorism" that has cost "billions of dollars" and endangered countless lives. "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 warned in a fiery post.
The Houthi-run health ministry reported a grim toll, stating that at least 31 people, mostly women and children, were killed, with 101 others injured in the initial strikes. The attacks targeted multiple locations across Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, the northern province of Saada—a Houthi stronghold near the Saudi border—and the southwestern city of Taiz. Residents in Sanaa described violent explosions that "shook the neighborhood like an earthquake," terrifying families, while unverified images circulating online showed plumes of black smoke rising over the area near Sanaa's airport, which houses a military facility. Another strike hit a power station in Dahyan, Saada, where Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi frequently meets visitors, causing widespread outages, according to the Houthi-aligned Al-Masirah TV. The Houthis condemned the U.S. actions as "wicked" aggression and a "war crime," accusing the U.S. and its ally, the UK, of targeting residential areas. Although the UK did not directly participate in Saturday’s strikes, it provided routine refueling support to U.S. forces.
The Houthis, an Iranian-backed rebel group that controls Sanaa and much of northwestern Yemen, have vowed a fierce response. "This aggression will not go without response, and our Yemeni armed forces are ready to answer escalation with further escalation," the group’s political bureau declared. The Houthis, who consider Israel their enemy, began attacking Red Sea shipping in November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Since then, they have launched 190 attacks, sinking two vessels, seizing a third, and killing four crew members, according to the U.S. Congress. A Pentagon spokesperson detailed that the Houthis have attacked U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023, often falsely claiming to target only ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or the UK. These actions have disrupted nearly 15% of global seaborne trade, forcing major shipping companies to reroute around southern Africa, bypassing the Suez Canal—the quickest sea link between Asia and Europe, critical for oil and LNG transport. Trump highlighted that it has been over a year since a U.S.-flagged ship safely traversed the Suez Canal and four months since a U.S. warship navigated the Red Sea.
Trump has framed the strikes as a necessary response to Houthi aggression, asserting, "We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective." The U.S. military’s Central Command, overseeing operations in the Middle East, described Saturday’s strikes as the start of a large-scale campaign, with fighter aircraft from the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea playing a key role. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s resolve, stating on X, "Houthi attacks on American ships & aircraft (and our troops!) will not be tolerated; and Iran, their benefactor, is on notice." However, the Houthis remain undeterred, having withstood previous U.S. and British air strikes, as well as Israeli retaliatory attacks since July for the 400 missiles and drones they launched at Israel—most of which were intercepted.
The strikes have drawn sharp international criticism, particularly from Iran, the Houthis’ primary backer. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denounced the U.S. actions as having "no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy," urging Washington to "end support for Israeli genocide and terrorism" and "stop killing of Yemeni people." Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Commander Hossein Salami countered Trump’s threats, insisting the Houthis operate independently and warning that Iran would "respond decisively and destructively" if attacked. Tehran’s foreign ministry labeled the strikes a "gross violation" of international law and the UN Charter. Meanwhile, Trump accused the previous Biden administration of being "pathetically weak," allowing the "unrestrained Houthis" to persist, and warned Iran to cease its support or face severe consequences, stating, "America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!"
The operation coincides with broader U.S. diplomatic maneuvers. Just days before the strikes, Trump sent a letter via UAE to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei seeking talks over Tehran’s nuclear program, which Khamenei rejected on Wednesday. Iran, facing economic strain and potential unrest, has accelerated uranium enrichment to 60% purity—nearing weapons-grade levels—raising alarms at the UN nuclear watchdog. Concurrently, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the strikes, signaling efforts to manage tensions with Moscow, which relies on Iranian weaponry in Ukraine. According to Russia's foreign ministry, Lavrov called for an "immediate cessation of force" and political dialogue to avert further bloodshed. Rubio, however, stressed that "continued Houthi attacks on U.S. military and commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea will not be tolerated."
The Houthis’ campaign has defied Western naval deployments and prior strikes, including joint U.S.-UK operations and Israeli strikes on Houthi-linked sites. On Tuesday, the group announced plans to resume attacks on Israeli ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, ending a brief lull tied to a Gaza ceasefire. U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, say Trump has authorized a more aggressive stance than Biden, who sought to degrade Houthi capabilities with limited actions. The unfolding campaign, one official told Reuters, could stretch for weeks, representing a costly effort to secure a vital trade route and counter Iran’s regional influence. As the conflict intensifies, the Houthis’ defiance and Iran’s backing signal a protracted struggle, with global commerce and Middle Eastern stability hanging in the balance.

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