Cliff Notes – Why did Trump launch strikes against Yemen
- President Donald Trump has authorised US strikes against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, citing their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, resulting in civilian casualties in Sanaa.
- Trump issued a stark warning to Iran, demanding an end to its support for the Houthis and asserting that further assaults would invoke overwhelming retaliation from the US.
- The operation marks the first strike against the Houthis during Trump’s second administration and is framed as a response to the group’s increased aggression towards American and Israeli vessels in the region.
Why did Trump launch strikes against Yemen
US President Donald Trump has launched strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. In a post on his Truth Social platform, he also warned Iran the country’s support for the group must “end immediately”.
The Iran-backed Houthis reported a series of explosions in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Saturday evening.
The Houthi-run health ministry said in a post on X that at least nine civilians have been killed and nine others injured.Images shared online show plumes of black smoke over the area of the city’s airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility.
Mr Trump said the strikes were over the group’s attacks against ships in the Red Sea.
Your time is up, and your attacks must stop
“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 said.
The president said Iran would be held “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy, adding: “And we won’t be nice about it!”The strikes come days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing in waters off Yemen in response to Israel’s blockade on Gaza, although there have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.
Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid coming into Gaza and warned of “additional consequences” for Hamas if their fragile ceasefire isn’t extended as negotiations continue over starting a second phase.” The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” Mr Trump wrote.
“These relentless assaults have cost the US and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.”
The Houthis launched more than 100 attacks targeting shipping from November 2023, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.The US, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen.
According to a US official, the operation – the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration – was conducted solely by the US.
The Houthi media office said the strikes hit “a residential neighbourhood” in Sanaa’s northern district of Shouab.Sanaa residents said at least four airstrikes hit the Eastern Geraf neighbourhood in the district, terrifying women and children in the area.”
The explosions were very strong,” said Abdallah al Alffi. “It was like an earthquake.” Similar missile strikes against the Houthis were done multiple times by Joe Biden‘s administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region.