Iran Trump orders attacks on Huthi militia in Yemen
The US has launched massive airstrikes against the Iran-backed Huthi militia in Yemen on the orders of President Donald Trump.
16.03.2025, 06:28
SDA
The attacks on bases, missile defense positions and terrorist leaders were intended to protect American ships and restore freedom of navigation, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The militia, which is hostile to Israel, announced a few days ago that it would resume its attacks on ships crossing the Red Sea and nearby waters.
According to the Huthi, airstrikes by the American and British military hit residential areas north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa. According to the BBC, however, the UK was probably not involved. The Arabic-language TV station Alaraby reported on its X platform, citing the militia-controlled Ministry of Health, that 31 people were killed and 101 injured, most of them women and children. The responsible US regional command Centcom spoke of a series of "precision strikes" throughout Yemen.
The attacks are likely to continue for days or perhaps even weeks, US media quoted military representatives as saying. Huthi spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti threatened retaliation on X: "We will meet escalation with escalation."
Trump warns Iran
Addressing Iran, Trump wrote that support for the Houthi terrorists must end immediately. The leadership of the Islamic Republic must not threaten the American people, its president or the global shipping routes. "Be warned, because America will hold you accountable, and we will not be nice to you!" wrote Trump. Like the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthi militia is supported by Israel's arch-enemy Iran.
The Houthis control large areas, particularly in Yemen. After the outbreak of the Gaza war between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, they began attacking the Jewish state with missiles and drones in solidarity with Hamas. They also began firing at ships with alleged links to Israel in particular. One of the most important shipping routes for world trade runs along the coast of Yemen, through which freighters from the Indian Ocean reach the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal in Egypt.
USA: Hundreds of Houthi attacks on ships
According to the Pentagon, the Houthi militia has attacked US warships 174 times and merchant ships 145 times since 2023. The Houthis have waged a relentless campaign of violence and terrorism against US and foreign ships and aircraft, Trump wrote on Truth Social. The administration of his predecessor Joe Biden had attempted to weaken the militia with more than 200 attacks against Houthi positions. A few weeks after Trump took office, the US reclassified them as a foreign terrorist organization at the beginning of this month.
Following this decision, Trump instructed the Pentagon to prepare military plans to combat the militia, wrote the US news website "Axios". When the Houthis recently shot down a US military drone, preparations for attacks were accelerated. On Friday, Trump then approved the attack plan before issuing the order for the operation the following day. The US government had informed a small number of key allies in advance about the attacks, Axios reported.
Rubio speaks with Lavrov: Huthi attacks will not be tolerated
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russia's chief diplomat Sergei Lavrov and informed him about the military operations against the Houthis, according to his ministry. Rubio emphasized that further attacks on American military and merchant ships in the Red Sea would not be tolerated.
The Wall Street Journal reported in the fall that Russia was supporting the Houthi militia in its attacks on ships in the Red Sea with satellite data. The target data was transmitted to the Houthi via members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, the country's elite military force, the US newspaper reported at the time, citing allegedly informed circles. According to a report by the Financial Times at the time, the Houthi militia in turn supported Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine with hundreds of Yemeni mercenaries.
Israel wants to continue indirect negotiations with Hamas
After a fragile ceasefire came into force in the Gaza Strip, the Houthi militia temporarily halted its attacks on ships in January. However, when Israel recently stopped all aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip in order to urge Hamas to release the remaining Israeli hostages there, the Houthis announced at the beginning of the week that they would resume their attacks on ships. The Israeli side had not adhered to the ceasefire agreement, wrote Huthi spokesman al-Bukhaiti on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed his negotiating team in the evening to prepare for further talks on a continuation of the ceasefire and the release of hostages, according to his office. The basis for this is a new proposal by US special envoy Steve Witkoff, which includes the immediate release of eleven living hostages and the handing over of half of the bodies, it was said. Netanyahu and several ministers had previously been briefed by Israel's negotiating team on the status of the mediation talks.
According to Israeli information, Hamas and other Islamist groups in the Gaza Strip are still holding 24 living hostages and 35 bodies. Five of those kidnapped have both Israeli and US citizenship, but only one of them is said to still be alive. Israel and the USA rejected Hamas' latest offer to release him in return for negotiations on Israel's complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. If the mediation efforts of the USA, Egypt and Qatar fail, the war could flare up again.
