The United States launched military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen following escalating threats to commercial shipping. Meanwhile the Trump administration said the campaign could continue for weeks.
President Trump announced the strikes on his Truth Social platform, declaring they were “necessary to protect American shipping” and sending a strong warning to Iran to cease its support of the Houthis immediately.
Trump emphasized that America would hold the Houthis fully accountable for recent attacks targeting commercial vessels transiting strategic waterways such as the Red Sea. U.S. military officials described the action, led by the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, as the first wave of a broader, sustained campaign designed to weaken the Houthis and restore freedom of navigation.
A man gestures as he searches in the rubble of a house hit by a U.S. strike in Saada, Yemen March 16, 2025. REUTERS/Naif Rahma TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
The attacks targeted rebel leadership, missile defense systems, and strategic sites in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, and Sa’dah, resulting in condemnation from Houthi authorities, who accused the U.S. of committing “war crimes.” The strikes killed at least 53, says a Houth-run ministry.
Tensions in the region have intensified significantly after recent Houthi threats to resume attacks on Israeli vessels, further raising concerns of broader regional conflict involving Iran. U.S. military officials have emphasized readiness to continue operations, aiming to deter further threats to international shipping.
