Trump vows to "annihilate" Houthis as U.S. strikes escalate Ukraine seeks more Patriot missiles

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Yemen’s Houthi rebels on March 19 that they would be “completely annihilated” as American airstrikes targeted areas under their control, escalating pressure on their primary backer, Iran.

Strikes hit the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, and their stronghold of Saada in the northwest on March 19 night, according to the Houthis' al-Masirah satellite news channel, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Footage showed firefighters tackling a blaze in Sanaa and damage to what was described as a sheep farm in al-Jawf. The channel also reported overnight strikes on March 18, though the U.S. military has not disclosed specific locations hit since the bombing campaign began. The first wave of airstrikes over the weekend killed at least 53 people, including children, and injured others.

Commenting on the attacks, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that “tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians.” He added: “Watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!”

Trump also warned Iran against arming the Houthis, asserting without evidence that Tehran had reduced its supply of military equipment and support to the group. “Iran must stop the sending of these supplies immediately,” he wrote.

Iran, which has long provided arms to the Houthis despite its denials, responded to Trump’s remarks via state-run IRNA, citing previous comments from its UN ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani, who dismissed the claims as “baseless accusations.” Tehran’s involvement with the Houthis has been linked to multiple weapon seizures and expert analyses, though Iran has sought to avoid breaching a UN arms embargo.

Between November 2023 and January this year, before a ceasefire in Gaza took effect, the Houthis carried out more than 100 attacks on merchant vessels using missiles and drones. These assaults sank two ships and killed four sailors, significantly raising the group’s profile in the Arab world while deflecting criticism of its human rights record.

Meanwhile, on March 20, the Houthi-run SABA news agency admitted the rebels had removed food aid from a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse without authorisation, taking around 20% of supplies stored there.

The United Nations suspended operations in Saada in February due to security concerns after dozens of UN staff and aid workers were detained by the Houthis. A WFP staff member died while in their custody.

Meanwhile, President Trump has committed to assisting Ukraine in locating additional U.S.-manufactured Patriot air defence systems available in Europe, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced. The statement followed a readout of a phone conversation between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 19 March.

During their hour-long discussion, the two leaders addressed the possibility of a ceasefire and efforts to bring an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. They also spoke about safeguarding Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

Zelenskyy requested additional air defence systems to protect Ukrainian civilians, particularly Patriot missile batteries. In response, Trump agreed to identify what could be sourced, especially from Europe, according to the readout.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Kyiv has repeatedly urged its allies to supply more air defence capabilities to shield its cities and critical infrastructure—particularly its energy network—from Russian missile and drone attacks. The advanced Patriot systems have been instrumental in defending Ukrainian airspace, with the capability to intercept even sophisticated ballistic missiles such as Kinzhals.

Reports have emerged throughout the war of Patriot systems sustaining damage due to Russian airstrikes. Ukraine has also deployed decoy systems to protect the operational units.

The development follows a tense exchange between Zelenskyy and Trump at the White House on 28 February, after which Washington suspended all military and intelligence support to Ukraine. However, following discussions between Ukrainian and American delegations in Saudi Arabia in March, the U.S. lifted the suspension.

By Aghakazim Guliyev