The Houthi movement has issued a stern warning to the United States following a series of airstrikes on the Yemeni port city of Hodeidah, vowing retaliatory action against American warships stationed in the region.
Sayyed Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Iran-backed Houthis, condemned the US attacks and called for mobilisation against American forces.
“The American aircraft carrier and warships will be our target, and the decision to ban navigation will include the US as long as it continues its aggression,” he declared in a speech on Sunday.
The warning follows a strike ordered by US President Donald Trump on Saturday, aimed at curbing the Houthis’ ability to disrupt vital trade routes.
The overnight assault, described by Washington as a “decisive and powerful strike,” reportedly resulted in at least 53 fatalities, including women and children, and left nearly 100 injured, according to Yemen’s Houthi-run Health Ministry.
In a swift retaliatory response, the Houthis launched a barrage of 18 ballistic and cruise missiles, alongside drone attacks, targeting the USS Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group in the northern Red Sea on Sunday.
Also read: 53 killed in US air raids as Houthis vow retaliation
The extent of the damage, if any, has not been disclosed by US authorities.
The Houthis, officially known as the Ansar Allah movement, have controlled large swathes of Yemen since the mid-2010s.
Their hostilities had been momentarily paused after a fragile peace agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
However, last week, the Houthis threatened to resume attacks on Israeli-linked vessels, accusing Tel Aviv of reneging on the terms of the agreement and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
With Iraq, Syria, and Yemen already destabilised by prolonged conflicts, Washington remains resolute in its military operations against the Houthis.
“The minute the Houthis say we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones, and this campaign will end. But until then, it will be unrelenting,” stated US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Analysts, however, remain sceptical of America’s ability to decisively neutralise the Houthis, noting that the US and its regional allies, including Israel, have been unable to fully dismantle Hamas despite 15 months of relentless warfare in Gaza.
With tensions escalating, the Houthis have signalled their determination to resist American pressure, setting the stage for an increasingly volatile confrontation involving the US, Israel, and Iranian-aligned forces in the region.
Follow us
