Trump Warns Iran While Announcing US Airstrikes on Houthis

Donald Trump, referring to his order for attacks on the positions of Yemen's Houthi group, warned Iran to immediately stop supporting this militia. The President of the United States stated on Saturday, March 16, on his social media platform, Truth Social, that if Iran does not cease its support for the Houthis, the US will hold Tehran 'fully accountable and will not be lenient in this regard.' Trump also addressed the 'Houthi terrorists,' stating: 'Your time is over, and your attacks must stop today. If they do not stop, hell will descend upon you like you have never seen before.' Reuters reported, citing the Houthi-controlled Health Ministry, that as a result of US attacks, 9 civilians were killed and 9 others in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, were also killed. Eyewitnesses in the city told Reuters that US attacks targeted a building housing Houthi militants. The Houthis, who have begun attacking commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters since the onset of the Gaza war, have been re-listed as a 'foreign terrorist organization' by the US under an executive order from Donald Trump. The US returned the Houthis to the list of 'foreign terrorist organizations' on March 6, and one day after the official announcement of this group's return to the list, it sanctioned seven leaders of the Houthis. On Saturday, the President of the United States announced that American forces are conducting airstrikes on 'bases, leaders, and defense missiles' of the Houthis to defend US interests and freedom of navigation. Donald Trump also accused former President Joe Biden of responding 'weakly' to the Houthis, which he claimed allowed Houthi attacks to continue. The Biden administration had removed the name 'Ansar Allah,' the military branch of the Houthis, from the US terrorist list four years ago to facilitate humanitarian aid to the people of Yemen. Iranian-backed Houthis have carried out over 100 attacks on commercial vessels since November 2023 and have sunk two ships. Gregory Brew, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group, previously told Radio Farda about the US action to return the Houthis to the terrorist list, stating that now that this group is a main part of Iran's declining 'axis of resistance,' it is a clear sign that the Trump administration seeks to maintain pressure on this group. The militia claimed that they are targeting vessels linked to Israel to support Palestinians in the Gaza war; however, many of the vessels they attacked had no connection to Israel. The Houthis announced on March 13 that they would resume attacks on 'Israeli ships.'