Many individuals have reportedly lost their lives following US President Donald Trump’s directive for "forceful" military intervention against the Houthi rebels in Yemen. This marks the initiation of fresh attacks against this Iran-supported faction, which has recently targeted sea routes within the Red Sea.
On a post made via Truth Social, Trump stated that the U.S. would employ "substantial lethal force" against the Houthis until their goals were met, indicating the commencement of an extensive military action potentially lasting for several weeks. This prompted the Houthis to issue warnings about further escalations.
At least 31 individuals were killed and 101 were wounded in Yemen due to U.S. airstrikes, with the majority of casualties being women and children, according to the Houthi-controlled health ministry.
Multiple Houthi leaders were reportedly eliminated in these attacks, as stated by US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz. He described them as "an overwhelming response" during his interview with ABC News, emphasizing that the strikes were intended to make Iran accountable for backing the Houthis.
On Sunday, the Houthis asserted they had targeted the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the northern Red Sea with 18 missiles and drones as retaliation for what they termed "American aggression."
"If they persist with their hostile actions, we will keep raising the stakes," warned Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the group’s leader.
Based on information provided by two U.S. officials, neither injuries nor damages occurred aboard the USS Truman. Initially, it remains uncertain whether the aircraft carrier needed to interrupt any takeoffs.
In late 2023, the Houthis from Yemen initiated attacks involving drones and missiles against ships in the Red Sea, claiming these actions were retaliation for Israel’s conflict in Gaza. These ongoing assaults considerably disrupted international commerce.
The Houthis halted their assaults when a truce was announced in Gaza in January; however, they have subsequently warned of potential resumption due to Israel’s blocking of assistance into Gaza.
In his statement, Trump alleged that the organization was conducting "a continuous assault involving piracy, violence, and terror against American as well as other nation's vessels, planes, and unmanned vehicles."
He stated that U.S. forces were conducting airstrikes against Houthi positions, including their leadership and missile defense systems, "in order to safeguard American maritime, air, and naval resources, as well as to reinstate Free Navigation."
"Nobody can prevent American commercial and naval ships from freely navigating the world’s waterways," Trump stated.
Additional steps following Saturday will hinge on the outcomes of damage evaluations from these consecutive attacks, as stated by a U.S. defense official to . However, further operations against the Houthis are anticipated to continue for the coming few weeks.
Trump also delivered a warning for Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, saying it must “immediately” end support for the group. He warned that if Iran threatened the American people or their president, “America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”
Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi responded with a post on X on Sunday.
The U.S. government lacks the legitimacy and right to dictate Iran's foreign policies," he stated. "Cease supporting Israel’s genocidal and terrorist activities. Put an end to the killings of the Yemeni people.
According to the health ministry, casualties occurred in Yemen's capital city of Sanaa and also in the northern region of Saada.
In Saada, strikes hit a power station in the town of Dahyan, resulting in a blackout throughout the city and its surrounding areas, according to Houthi-controlled Al-Masirah TV.
According to Reuters, reporting from two eyewitnesses, strikes were conducted against Houthi military locations in Yemen's southwestern city of Taiz.
The Houthis' political bureau denounced the U.S. airstrikes as a "war crime."
"Our Yemeni military forces are completely ready to react to increased aggression with even greater force," stated in a communiqué reviewed by Reuters.
Trump approved the Houthi strike plan — which he requested be drawn up several weeks ago — late last week, and the final order was given on Saturday to begin what officials describe as a sustained attack on the group’s positions in Yemen.
A comprehensive strike effort demanded considerable time for organization and planning as the U.S. needed to gather the essential intelligence for executing more extensive assaults against the Houthis. A high-ranking military officer has since disclosed that the intelligence gathering needed for these expanded operations has now concluded.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss the airstrikes. He emphasized that Houthi attacks "will not go unchecked," as stated in a summary provided by the State Department. During the previous summer, Russia had considered supplying arms to the Houthis. pulled back under pressure from both the US and Saudi Arabia.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a release that during the telephone conversation, Lavrov highlighted "the urgency of stopping military action" in Yemen immediately.
For several months, the U.S. has been striving to weaken the Houthi forces due to their efforts in disrupting key international shipping routes through the Red Sea—a crucial maritime passage—by referring to these assaults as retaliation for Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza. This militant organization has launched strikes affecting over 100 ships and boats using various means such as drones, missiles, and smaller naval craft.
The Biden administration aimed to address the situation by conducting precise strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. These operations included assaults on subterranean arms depots in both October and November, yet they failed to halt subsequent attacks.
This isn’t just a single event; rather, it’s the start of a continuous sequence of incidents that could extend over several days or even weeks," explained a person close to the planning to . "We want to clarify that this does not involve an invasion or ground forces. Instead, expect a sustained campaign featuring precise and deliberate strikes.
earlier this year, Trump issued an order labeling the Houthis as a "foreign terrorist organization."
In his statement, Trump mentioned that the Biden administration’s stance on the Houthis was "unacceptably feeble," which allowed the unchecked Houthis to continue their actions unabated.
"To every Houhi militant, your time has run out, and your assaults must cease beginning today. If they do not stop, you will face consequences more severe than anything previously experienced," he stated.
Alayna Treene, Oren Liebermann, Sophie Tanno, and Maria Kostenko from CNN Mohammed Tawfeeq provided input for this report. The article has been revised.
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