Dozens have been killed from the airstrikes in Yemen
President Donald Trump gave the green light to the US military to hail a barrage of missiles upon Yemen, and now Iran has issued a response.
The airstrikes have tragically claimed the lives of 31 Yemenis, leaving 101 others injured. The strikes came on the heels of President Trump’s warning to unleash “hell” on Houthi rebels, following what he described as “decisive and powerful military action” against the Iranian-backed group. The Houthis, an armed political and religious faction, emerged in the 1990s, advocating for the rights of the Zaidis, Yemen’s Shia Muslim minority.
In response, Iran has strongly condemned the US actions. Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, denounced the strikes as a “gross violation of the principles of the UN Charter.” He emphasized Iran’s outrage over what he called the brutal airstrikes, while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi further criticized the Trump administration, stating that the US had “no authority” to dictate foreign policy.
In a fiery response, the Houthi rebels took to national television, announcing their readiness to strike the United States. “Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to confront escalation with escalation,” they declared in a statement broadcast on their Al-Masirah TV station, which was founded by the Houthi movement.
Meanwhile, on the Houthi Ansarollah website, the group’s administration condemned the “criminal brutality” of US actions, labeling it as “US-British aggression.” They denounced the strikes as an unjustified escalation.
The airstrikes came as a direct response to the rebels’ persistent acts of piracy, particularly their attacks on cargo ships navigating the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Taking to Truth Social, President Trump provided insight into his decision to launch such aggressive measures, explaining that the strikes were necessary to protect international shipping lanes and uphold US interests.
In a defiant message, President Trump stated, “They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American and other ships, aircraft, and drones.” The 78-year-old Republican leader didn’t hold back in issuing a stark warning to the Houthi rebels: “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 emphasized the gravity of the situation, declaring, “Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President—who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History—or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it!”
