The United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are escalating tensions following U.S. airstrikes aimed at deterring attacks on military and commercial vessels in a crucial global shipping corridor.
The Houthi-run Health Ministry reported that the overnight U.S. strikes killed at least 53 people, including five women and two children, and injured nearly 100 in Sanaa and the northern province of Saada, the rebels’ stronghold near the Saudi border.
“We’re not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS, emphasizing that the strikes would continue until the Houthis lose their operational capabilities. He clarified that these were not isolated retaliatory strikes but a sustained effort.
U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis cease their assaults and warned Iran that it would be held “fully accountable” for its support of the group.
The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea, sinking two vessels in what they claim is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The attacks paused when an Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect in January, just before Trump took office. However, the Houthis recently renewed threats against Israeli vessels after Israel restricted humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The U.S. airstrikes, among the most extensive since the Gaza war began in October 2023, reportedly targeted key Houthi leaders and facilities. While the Houthis have vowed retaliation, U.S. officials have downplayed claims that their forces were successfully targeted.
The United Nations has urged “utmost restraint” and warned of “grave risks” to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, Iran’s leadership denied involvement in Houthi military operations but called for an end to U.S. strikes.
The USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group, along with other U.S. naval assets, played a central role in the mission, marking the first major strike against the Houthis under Trump’s second term.
Source: Swifteradio.com
