Trump: If Houthi Attacks Do Not Stop, They and Iran Will Face 'Real Pain'

Donald Trump warned Houthi militants to stop their attacks on ships, otherwise the group and Iran, as their main supporter, will face 'real pain.' The U.S. President stated on Sunday, April 11, via his social media platform, Truth Social, addressing the Houthis: 'Stop shooting at American ships, and we won't shoot at you. Otherwise, our work is just beginning, and real pain has not yet arrived for both the Houthis and Iran, their supporter.' He also reported that due to recent U.S. airstrikes, 'Houthi terrorists' have suffered heavy casualties, and 'many of their fighters and leaders' are no longer alive. Just hours before the U.S. President's message, a spokesperson for the health ministry under Houthi control in Yemen told the German news agency that approximately 60 people have been killed and over 130 injured due to the recent U.S. airstrikes. Trump stated that Iran is responsible for the next Houthi attacks; Tehran's response came on March 25 when Trump announced the start of military operations against Houthi positions, warning that the U.S. would hold Tehran 'fully accountable and will not show leniency in this regard.' Two days later, he intensified his rhetoric, saying that from now on 'any bullet fired by the Houthis will be considered a shot from the weapons and leadership of Iran, and Iran will be responsible for it and will face consequences.' The U.S. President also threatened the Houthis that if they do not end their attacks in the Red Sea, 'hell will be unleashed upon you.' However, in the past two weeks, the Houthis have claimed several attacks on the U.S. military fleet in the Middle East and have also fired missiles towards Israel multiple times. Israel claims to have intercepted and shot down these missiles. After returning to the White House, Trump put the Houthis back on the list of U.S. terrorist organizations, while Iran considers this militia part of the 'resistance axis.' The Iranian-backed Houthis began attacking military and commercial ships under the pretext of supporting the Palestinian people since the onset of the Gaza war. Their attacks have disrupted the normal flow of commercial shipping from Asia to Europe. Although the Islamic Republic is known as a supporter of the Houthis, who control vast areas of Yemen, Iranian political and military officials claim that this group makes its decisions independently. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic rejected the idea of 'proxy' groups affiliated with Iran in the region in his speech on the first of Farvardin, stating: 'What does proxy mean? The Yemeni nation has motivation. Others have motivation. These nations themselves have grievances, and this is not a matter of proxy.' On the other hand, he rejected direct negotiations with the Trump administration regarding Iran's nuclear file, although Masoud Pezeshkian stated on Sunday that Ali Khamenei responded to a letter sent by the U.S. President and agreed to 'indirect negotiations' with Washington. Trump's administration, in addition to attacking the Iranian-backed Houthis, has also resumed its 'maximum pressure' policy on Iran, stating that it intends to prevent this country from acquiring nuclear weapons. The U.S. President warned on Sunday that if Iran does not reach an agreement with the U.S. regarding its nuclear program, it will face secondary tariffs and bombings. This statement was met with a response from the Iranian leader, who said during the 'Eid al-Fitr prayer' ceremony on Sunday morning that if the U.S. and Israel attack, they will 'receive a strong counter-strike.' Iranian officials claim that the goal of developing the nuclear program is not to acquire an atomic bomb, but after the first Trump administration withdrew from the nuclear agreement (JCPOA), they deviated from their commitments under this agreement and significantly accelerated uranium enrichment, especially in the past year.