A U.S. military campaign targeting Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels could continue for days or even weeks, a U.S. official told Reuters on condition of anonymity.
President Donald Trump also issued a warning to Iran, the Houthis’ primary backer.
"To Iran: Support for Houthi terrorists must end immediately! Do not threaten the American people, their President, who has been given one of the greatest mandates in presidential history, or the shipping lanes around the world. If you do, beware, because America will hold you fully accountable and we will not be nice about it," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Saturday.
Houthi-controlled health authorities claim at least nine civilians were killed in U.S. strikes on the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Residents reported that a building in a Houthi stronghold was hit.
"The explosions were violent and shook the neighborhood like an earthquake. They terrified our women and children," said Abdullah Yahia, a local resident, speaking to Reuters.
Since November 2023, Houthi rebels have launched over 100 attacks on commercial shipping, citing solidarity with Palestinians amid the Israel-Gaza war. During that time, the militants have sunk two ships, seized another, and killed at least four sailors, forcing companies to reroute shipping to longer, costlier routes.
The previous U.S. administration, under Democrat Joe Biden, sought to limit the Houthis' ability to attack vessels but stopped short of broader military action.
"Joe Biden's response was pathetically weak.. It has been over a year since a commercial ship under the American flag has safely navigated through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden," Trump said.
Trump vowed that attacks on U.S. ships would not be tolerated.
"We will use overwhelming lethal force until we achieve our objective," he said.
These strikes mark the first U.S. military action in Yemen since a ceasefire in Gaza took effect on January 19. The operation comes days after the Houthis announced they would resume targeting Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, ending a brief period of
