Thick smoke rises during a U.S. military strike on Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital, Sanaa, in the early hours of March 16, 2025.
Mohammed Huwais | Afp | Getty Images
U.S. President Donald Trump initiated extensive military operations against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis on Saturday in response to their aggression toward vessels in the Red Sea, resulting in the deaths of at least 31 individuals at the onset of a campaign anticipated to persist for several days.
Trump also cautioned Iran, the primary supporter of the Houthis, urging it to cease all assistance to the group. He warned that if Iran posed a threat to the United States, “America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be gentle about it!”
In response, the top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards stated on Sunday that the Houthis act independently and make their own strategic and operational choices.
“We caution our adversaries that Iran will respond with decisive and devastating force if they act on their threats,” Hossein Salami relayed to state media.
The ongoing strikes— which a U.S. official told Reuters could extend for weeks—mark the largest military operation conducted by the U.S. in the Middle East since Trump assumed office in January.
This operation coincides with the U.S. intensifying sanctions against Tehran in an effort to bring Iran to the negotiating table regarding its nuclear ambitions.
“To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST END IMMEDIATELY. OTHERWISE, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE A FEROCIOUS RECKONING LIKE NOTHING EVER WITNESSED BEFORE!” Trump declared on his Truth Social platform.
According to Anees al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry, the U.S. strikes have resulted in at least 31 fatalities and 101 injuries, predominantly among women and children.
The Houthis characterized the attacks as a “war crime.”
“Our armed forces in Yemen are entirely prepared to retaliate with equal force against any escalation,” they stated in a communiqué. Residents in Sanaa reported that the strikes targeted a structure within a Houthi stronghold.
“The blasts were tremendous and shook the area like an earthquake, terrifying our women and children,” reported a resident named Abdullah Yahia to Reuters.
Strikes were also reported hitting Houthi military installations in the southwestern city of Taiz, according to two witnesses in the vicinity on Sunday.
An additional strike affected a power station in Dahyan, Saada, causing a blackout, Al-Masirah TV reported early Sunday. Dahyan is noted as a frequent meeting place for Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the elusive leader of the Houthis.
Over the past decade, the Houthis, having seized control of a substantial portion of Yemen, have engaged in numerous assaults on vessels off the coast since November 2023, impeding global trade and prompting the U.S. military to undertake a costly effort in intercepting missiles and drones that have depleted U.S. air defense resources.
A Pentagon spokesperson noted that the Houthis have targeted U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023.
The Houthis state that their strikes are in solidarity with Palestinians in light of the ongoing conflict in Gaza involving Hamas militants.
The previous U.S. administration, under President Joe Biden, aimed to diminish the Houthis’ capability to assault vessels off their coast but restricted U.S. military actions. U.S. officials, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that Trump has sanctioned a more aggressive military stance.
Strikes across Yemen
The U.S. military’s Central Command, which manages forces in the Middle East, described the airstrikes on Saturday as the commencement of a comprehensive operation throughout Yemen.
Saturday’s operations were partly executed by fighter jets from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier stationed in the Red Sea, officials confirmed.
“Attacks by the Houthis on American vessels, aircraft, and troops will not be tolerated; and Iran, their supporter, is on alert,” stated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on X.
Iran’s foreign ministry condemned the attacks on Yemen, labeling them a “brazen violation of the principles of the United Nations Charter and essential international law,” according to a statement released via state media.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi asserted that the U.S. government possesses “no authority or reason to dictate Iranian foreign policy.”
“Put an end to your support for Israeli genocide and terrorism. Cease the killing of the Yemeni people,” he expressed in an X post early Sunday.
On Tuesday, the Houthis announced their intention to resume assaults on Israeli vessels traversing the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, as well as the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, the announcement concluding a period of relative tranquility since the Gaza ceasefire in January.
The U.S. bombardments occurred merely days after a letter from Trump to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was delivered, requesting discussions regarding Iran’s nuclear program.
Khamenei dismissed the idea of negotiating with the United States on Wednesday; however, Tehran is increasingly apprehensive that escalating public discontent stemming from economic difficulties could lead to widespread protests, as reported by four Iranian officials to Reuters.
Last year, Israeli airstrikes on Iranian infrastructure, including missile production facilities and air defense systems, conducted in retaliation for Iranian missile and drone assaults, significantly diminished Tehran’s conventional military capabilities, according to U.S. officials. Iran has consistently denied aspirations to develop a nuclear weapon.
Nonetheless, the U.N. nuclear watchdog has issued warnings that Iran is rapidly increasing uranium enrichment to levels up to 60% purity, nearing the approximate 90% threshold for weapons-grade uranium.
In a notable indication of U.S. attempts to enhance relations with Russia, Secretary of State Marco Rubio communicated with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday to inform him about the U.S. operations in Yemen, as stated by the State Department. U.S. and Ukrainian officials claim that Russia has depended on Iranian-supplied armaments for its military actions in Ukraine, including missiles and drones.
