Trump orders strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and issues new warning

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sana, on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor. The Houthis said 13 civilians were killed.

“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump said in a social media post. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”

He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy. It comes two weeks after the U.S. leader sent a letter to the top Iranian leader offering a path to restarting bilateral talks on Iran’s advancing nuclear program. Trump, like previous U.S. presidents, has said he will not allow the program to lead to atomic weapons.

The Houthis reported a series of explosions in their territory Saturday evening. Images circulating online show plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sana airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility.

At least 13 people were killed, said Anees al-Asbahi, spokesman for the Houthi-run Health Ministry. In a statement on social media, he said another nine were wounded.

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the airstrikes won’t deter them and they would retaliate against the United States.

“Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” Amer said on social media.

The airstrikes come a few 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. 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 cease-fire in the war isn’t extended as negotiations continue over a second phase.

The Houthis had described their warning as taking hold in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.

The Houthis targeted more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in late 2023 and January of this year, when the tenuous cease-fire in Gaza took effect.

The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown on dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decade-long stalemated war that’s torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.

The U.S., Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen. Israel’s military declined to comment.

The Houthi media office said the U.S. strikes hit a residential neighborhood in Sana’s northern district of Shouab. Sana residents said at least four airstrikes rocked the Eastern Geraf neighborhood in Shouab district, terrifying women and children in the area.

“The explosions were very strong,” Abdallah al-Alffi said. “It was like an earthquake.”

The Saturday operation against the Houthis was conducted solely by the U.S., according to an American official. It was the first strike on the Houthis under the second Trump administration, and it comes after a period of relative quiet in the region.

Such broad-based and preplanned missile strikes against the Houthis were launched multiple times by the Biden administration in response to frequent attacks by the Houthis against commercial and military vessels in the region.

The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, which includes the carrier, three Navy destroyers and one cruiser, are in the Red Sea and were part of the mission. The USS Georgia cruise missile submarine has also been operating in the region.

Trump announced the strikes as he spent the day at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Fla.

“These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said.

Price, Baldor and Magdy write for the Associated Press. Baldor reported from Washington and Magdy reported from Cairo. AP White House correspondent Zeke Miller contributed from Washington.