President Donald Trump ordered military airstrikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, as stated in a post shared on a social platform on Saturday.
Trump declared that he had directed the U.S. military to carry out “decisive and powerful military action” against the Houthis, whom he labeled terrorists. He emphasized that the group had engaged in a relentless campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism targeting American and international ships, aircraft, and drones.
The president also criticized his successor, President Joe Biden, for his perceived weak response to the group, stating that it allowed the Houthis to continue their attacks without restraint. Trump highlighted that it had been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial vessel safely passed through key maritime routes. He pointed to several attacks, including the Houthis targeting an American warship, costing billions of dollars to both the U.S. and global economy while endangering innocent lives.
Trump’s remarks follow a February 19 incident in which the Houthis fired surface-to-air missiles at a U.S. F-16 fighter jet and later targeted an American MQ-9 Reaper drone. Though the missiles failed to hit their targets, it marked a significant escalation in the conflict.
In his post, Trump issued a stark warning to the Houthis, saying, “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!” Earlier this year, Trump had re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), a decision initially made during his first administration but later reversed by the Biden administration. He also noted that the group, supported by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had frequently attacked U.S. Navy warships, endangering American personnel.
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