Trump’s Threat to Houthi Rebels Amid Intensified U.S. Airstrikes in Yemen

U.S. President Donald Trump made a strong statement on Wednesday, saying Yemen’s Houthi rebels will be completely destroyed. This happened while U.S. airstrikes were hitting places they control in Yemen. The airstrikes targeted Sanaa, the capital city held by the Houthis, and their stronghold in the northwest town of Saada.

The Houthi-run al-Maisrah news channel showed videos of firefighters fighting large fires in Sanaa and damage to a sheep farm in another area. It reported that airstrikes also occurred earlier in the week, but the U.S. military hasn’t shared detailed information about the locations hit since the air campaign began. The first strikes over the weekend resulted in at least 53 people dead, including children, and many others injured.

On his Truth Social website, Trump stated that the attack caused massive damage to the Houthis, calling them “barbarians.” He warned that the situation will only get worse for them, saying, “It’s not even a fair fight, and it never will be.” He insisted that the Houthis will be completely annihilated.

Trump also warned Iran to stop helping the Houthis with weapons and support, making unproven claims that Tehran is reducing its assistance. He urged Iran to halt sending supplies immediately. Iran has often been accused of providing weapons to the Houthis, who belong to a Shiite sect in Islam and controlled Yemen for many years. While Iran denies arming the rebels, there is physical evidence showing connections between the weapons and Iran. Iran likely denies this to avoid penalties for breaking U.N. laws.

In recent months, the Houthis attacked over 100 merchant ships, sinking two and killing four sailors. Their actions raised their profile in the Arab world, reducing criticism of the human rights abuses they committed against dissenters and aid workers.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency reported that the rebels took food aid from a World Food Program warehouse without permission, claiming they took about 20% of the food available. In February, the U.N. stopped its operations in Saada due to security worries after many U.N. workers were detained. One WFP employee even died while in Houthi custody.