Dozens killed in US strikes on Houthi targets across Yemen
U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen continued overnight Sunday with significant intensity, striking multiple locations across the country.
The Iran-backed terrorist group said at least 31 people were killed and 101 wounded, mostly women and children, though the claims could not be independently verified.
The wave of strikes follows President Donald Trump’s decision to launch a large-scale military campaign against the Houthis, marking the opening phase of a broader U.S. offensive against the rebel group, which has resumed threats against Israel and international shipping in the Red Sea.
According to reports, the strikes targeted Bayda province in southern Yemen, Dhamar province, Saada province in the north, Hajjah province in the west and multiple locations in the capital, Sanaa.
"The attacks were devastating," a source in Sanaa said. "They were everywhere and the casualties are civilians."
According to The Wall Street Journal, officials briefed by the Trump administration said the operation has three primary objectives: Destroying Houthi missile launchers targeting ships in the Red Sea, eliminating key Houthi leadership figures in hiding and sending a warning to Iran, with a message that it could be next.
The report said U.S. airstrikes hit military installations and homes of Houthi leaders in Sanaa, as well as missile launch sites positioned along the coast in preparation for new attacks on shipping lanes.
The Houthis’ Supreme Political Council released a statement condemning the "reckless U.S.-Israeli aggression", calling on the international community to intervene. The group vowed to continue maritime operations in the Red Sea until Israel lifts its blockade on Gaza and allows humanitarian aid in.
The Saudi-owned Al Arabiya network reported that U.S. strikes hit Houthi military sites in six different Yemeni provinces.
The escalation forced Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi to cancel his daily Ramadan speech. Senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti told Al Mayadeen: "The U.S. strikes are unjustified because our actions are directed solely at Israel. Our response is coming. For us, there is no difference between Trump and Biden—we will not abandon our support for Palestine."
The Houthi-run Health Ministry in Sanaa told Qatar’s Al Araby that medical teams were still treating wounded victims and searching for survivors under the rubble. The ministry warned that nine years of war have crippled Yemen’s health sector, with 45% of facilities non-operational. "Trump has made the biggest strategic mistake in U.S. history—the consequences will be severe," the ministry said.
Trump, who has blamed Iran for supporting the Houthis’ attacks on Red Sea shipping, warned Tehran to halt its backing of the group immediately.
"Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY!" Trump wrote on Truth Social. "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!"
U.S. officials told Reuters that airstrikes could last for several days, possibly weeks, and could escalate depending on the Houthis’ response. The New York Times reported that some White House advisers are pushing for even more aggressive strikes, aiming to force the Houthis to relinquish large parts of the territory they control in northern Yemen.
Dozens killed in US strikes on Houthi targets across Yemen: '''They’re everywhere'''
Houthi rebels launch missiles at US aircraft carrier and Israeli airport in huge blit
The Houthi rebels have launched an attack against an American aircraft carrier and an airport, with two missiles targeting the American assets.
The attacks come in the aftermath of U.S. aggression against Yemen, with attacks over the past few days all over the country.
The Yemeni Army released a statement confirming their attacks.
"The first targeted Ben Gurion Airport with two ballistic missiles, and the second targeted several enemy destroyers, as well as the Truman aircraft carrier, in the Red Sea with several missiles and drones, in a clash that lasted several hours," military leaders said in a statement.
The attacks lasted several hours and were meant to stop an air attack coming to the Gaza Strip.
The American-targeted attacks come after U.S. airstrikes hit Yemen’s Houthi rebels pounded sites across the country overnight and into Monday, with the group saying the one attack in the capital killed at least one person and wounded more than a dozen others.
The American strikes on the rebels, who threaten maritime trade and Israel, entered their 10th day without any sign of stopping. They are part of a campaign by U.S. President Donald Trump targeting the rebel group while also trying to pressure Iran, the Houthis’ principal benefactor.
So far, the U.S. has not offered any specifics on the sites it is striking. However, Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz claimed the attacks have “taken out key Houthi leadership, including their head missileer.” That’s something so far that’s not been acknowledged by the Houthis, though the rebels have downplayed their losses in the past and exaggerated their attacks attempting to target American warships.
“We’ve hit their headquarters,” Waltz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday. “We’ve hit communications nodes, weapons factories and even some of their over-the-water drone production facilities.”
A building next to the collapsed structure still stood, suggesting American forces likely used a lower-yield warhead in the strike.
The Houthis also described American airstrikes targeting sites around the city of Saada, a Houthi stronghold, the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, and Marib province, home to oil and gas fields still under the control of allies to Yemen’s exiled central government.
The campaign of airstrikes targeting the rebels, which killed at least 53 people immediately after they began on March 15, started after the Houthis threatened to begin targeting “Israeli” ships again over Israel blocking aid entering the Gaza Strip. The rebels in the past have had a loose definition of what constitutes an Israeli ship, meaning other vessels could be targeted as well.
The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors during their campaign targeting ships from November 2023 until January of this year. They also launched attacks targeting American warships, though none have been hit so far.
The attacks greatly raised the Houthis’ profile as they faced economic problems and launched a crackdown targeting any dissent and aid workers at home amid Yemen’s decadelong stalemated war that has torn apart the Arab world’s poorest nation.
Houthi rebels launch missiles at US warship and Israeli airport in huge blitz - World News - News - Daily Express US
