President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that the United States had launched a military offensive against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen, a return to the muscular foreign policy that was a cornerstone of his first term.
The New York Times reported that the “large-scale” strikes specifically targeted “radars, air defenses, and missile and drone systems.”
Trump said in a message that the terror group had “waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.”
The strikes, believed to be only the opening salvo, are expected to last several days and could significantly increase in intensity depending on the response from the terrorist group.
Reports from Yemen say airstrikes have targeted Houthi sites near Sanaa. They appear not to be Israeli attacks. pic.twitter.com/wvsGMNgkTU
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) March 15, 2025
Airstrikes hit Houthi sites in the Sanaa area a short time ago. Israeli media reported that they were not caused by IDF action. pic.twitter.com/BOE7s3RbfI
— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) March 15, 2025
The strikes were meant to stop the scores of attacks that the Houthis have launched on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, and to send a message to Iran with respect to its nuclear program.
“Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going,” Trump said. “It has been over a year since a U.S. flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times. Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at U.S. aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies. These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.”
“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated,” he continued. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective. The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.”
Trump concluded his message to the Houthis: “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!”
He also had a message for Iran, telling the Islamic regime that its support for the Houthis “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,” he said. “If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”
