Politics
BREAKING: Trump Announces Military Action Against Houthi Militants In Yemen
President Trump on Saturday announced that he had authorized military strikes against Houthi militants in Yemen. The Iran-backed group has significantly hampered shipping in the Red Sea and has launched attacks on U.S. and allied vessels since the War in Gaza erupted in October 2023.
“Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones,” Trump announced in a Truth Social post.
He went on to describe former President Biden’s handling of the crisis “pathetic” and vowed tougher action. Biden previously authorized limited strikes against Houthi targets in response to attacks on American shipping, though the strikes did not degrade the militant group’s capabilities.
“Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going. It has been over a year since a U.S. flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times. Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at U.S. aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies. 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 continued.
The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective. The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.
Several airstrikes have been reported in and around the Yemeni capital of Sanaa
The Houthi movement controls roughly half of Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa, after gaining control through the decade-long civil war. A rival, internationally recognized government has based itself in Aden since 2015.
With significant support from Iran, the Houthis were able to expel a Saudi-led coalition of Muslim nations while inflicting heavy damage in the mid-late 2010’s.
In response to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have launched a number of attacks on Israeli commercial vessels or vessels headed for Israeli ports, as well as merchant vessels belonging to the U.K. and other allied nations. This has resulted in exchanges of fire with U.S. warships on numerous occasions, which have been deployed to the region since the October 7 attacks.
On Saturday, President Trump announced that he had authorized “aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders and missile defenses to protect American shipping to protect American shipping, air and naval assets and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump added.
The president concluded his post with a blunt message for the Houthis, harkening back to his dealings with aggression from Iran and North Korea during his first term in office. “To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!” Trump wrote.
“To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it.”
