The United States struck Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday evening in a message to Iran, at a time when the administration is proposing to open negotiations on its nuclear program, a US official told The Jerusalem Post.
The strikes will last "days, possible weeks" an official told Reuters.
The Houthi-run health ministry reported that the US strikes have killed over 23 people and wounded more than 20 others in Yemen on Saturday.
An Israeli official told Walla that the US informed Israel in advance of the attacks on Yemen.
The air and naval strikes hit the Houthis’ radars, air defenses, and missile and drone systems, The New York Times reported.
The Houthi TV channel said that an electrical installation in the city of Dahyan, in the Saada province in northwestern Yemen, was also struck resulting in a loss of electricity across the city.
US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social account that “today, I have ordered the United States military to launch decisive and powerful military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.”Trump also slammed his predecessor, former president Joe Biden, for his “pathetically weak” handling of the Houthi threat.
“Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at US aircraft, and targeted our troops and allies. These relentless assaults have cost the US and world economy many billions of dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” the president stressed.
“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Donald Trump: Houthis, your time is up, starting today
The president concluded the post with a message to the Houthis and to Iran.
“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!” he wrote. “To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists 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. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”
The strike’s goal is to open international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, which have been disrupted by the Houthis.Houthi-run Al Masirah TV previously said on Saturday that an attack targeted the Yemeni capital Sana’a, without providing further details.
The Iran-backed Houthi terror group paused attacks on Israel, which it began in support of Hamas, during the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. However, the Houthis announced last week that they would recommence attacks in response to Israel’s blockade on aid in Gaza.
This is a developing story.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.