U.S. warships have downed approximately a dozen drones launched by the Houthi group since President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against the organization on Saturday, according to sources.
A senior defense official confirmed the developments on Sunday, explaining that the drones, which were aimed at the U.S. Navy’s Truman Carrier Strike Group, were intercepted “well before” they could pose a significant threat.
This military response follows more than a year of escalating attacks by the Houthis on both commercial vessels and U.S. military ships. In a post on social media on Saturday, Trump announced that he had “ordered the United States Military to take decisive and powerful action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen.”
Trump noted that it had been over a year since a U.S.-flagged commercial vessel safely navigated the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. He also pointed out that the last American warship to pass through the Red Sea, four months ago, had been attacked by the Houthis multiple times. “These relentless attacks have cost the U.S. and the global economy billions of dollars, while putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said.
Trump further declared, “To all Houthi terrorists, 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!”
In January, Trump re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), a designation his administration had previously issued before being reversed by the Biden administration.
On Sunday, the White House released images showing Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz overseeing the strikes. “President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend U.S. shipping assets and deter terrorist threats,” the White House posted on social media. “For too long, American economic and national interests have been under attack by the Houthis. Not under this presidency.”
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