The U.S. military conducted wide-ranging airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, President Trump said.
Why it matters: It was the largest wave of U.S. strikes in Yemen since Trump assumed office.
- A U.S. official said Saturday’s strikes were not a one-off but the start of a series of “relentless” U.S. strikes against the Houthis that are expected to last for days or maybe even weeks.
- Houthi-affiliated media reported at least 13 people were killed in the strikes.
Driving the news: According to local reports in Yemen, numerous explosions took place in Sana’a around 1:30pm ET.
- Trump said the strikes were aimed at “terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses.”
- Several other strikes took place in different parts of Yemen on Saturday.
Behind the scenes: Trump had ordered the Pentagon to start preparing military plans against the Houthis after his decision to re-designate them as a terrorist organization several weeks after he assumed office, the U.S. official said.
- After the Houthis downed a U.S. military drone two weeks ago, preparations for the strikes accelerated, and in recent days the main question became about the timing of the strikes, according to the U.S. official.
- Trump approved the attack plan on Friday and on Saturday he gave the final order to carry it out, the U.S. official said. The Trump administration informed a small number of key allies in advance. Israel was notified before the strikes, a senior Israeli official told Axios.
- The U.S. official said other relevant allies and senior members of Congress were informed after the strikes began.
- After the strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. The State Department said Rubio informed Lavrov of the strikes in Yemen and told him “continued Houthi attacks on U.S. military and commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea will not be tolerated.”
What they are saying: “Today, I have ordered the U.S. 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 wrote on his Truth Social account.
- Trump said Houthi attacks “have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk”.
- “The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” he said, hinting that the strikes are part of a wider military campaign.
- “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.
The other side: The Houthis condemned the strikes and claimed the U.S. conducted them because of the Houthi support for Gaza.
- “This aggression will not pass without a response and this escalation will be met with escalation,” the Houthis said in a statement.
The big picture: Trump said the strikes against the Houthis are also a message to Iran, to which he sent a letter earlier this week proposing negotiations on a new nuclear deal.
- “To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!” Trump stressed.
Catch up quick: The Houthis began launching ballistic missile and drone attacks against Israel less than two weeks after the Hamas October 7 terror attack.
- They also started launching attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea and effectively immobilized one of the most important international commercial shipping lanes in the world.
- The Biden administration started mobilizing an international coalition against the Houthis in December 2023.
The U.S. and the UK conducted air strikes against the Houthis a month later. There have been numerous strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since then, but they haven’t deterred additional attacks.
- When the Gaza ceasefire agreement was approved on Jan. 17, the Houthis announced they would halt their attacks against Israel and in the Red Sea as long as the ceasefire remained in place.
- The Houthis began threatening to resume their attacks in the last two weeks after the ceasefire deal wasn’t been extended and as Israel announced it is suspending humanitarian aide shipments into Gaza.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional details and context.