Yemen Monitor / Washington/Agencies:
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that U.S. forces launched a “decisive and powerful” attack on the Houthis in Yemen, escalating actions against the group that has been targeting maritime traffic and U.S. forces in the Red Sea. The strikes were also intended as a sharp warning to Iran, the group’s primary backer.
In a social media post, Trump stated, “Houthi attacks on US ships will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming deadly force until we achieve our goal.”
In his statement, Trump directly addressed the Houthis’ sponsors in Iran: “Support for the Houthi terrorists must end immediately!” He warned the government in Tehran, saying, “America will hold you fully accountable, and we will not be gentle about it.”
In recent days, Trump sent a message to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in hopes of reaching a new agreement to curb Tehran’s nuclear program. However, the Iranians have so far refused to engage.
The operation follows Trump administration’s decision to reclassify the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, citing waves of violence carried out by the militants against U.S. warships and commercial vessels. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated earlier this month that the move fulfills Trump’s campaign promise following hundreds of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
