US launches large-scale strikes on Yemen’s Houthis, warns Iran of "full accountability" for support

U.S. President Donald Trump launched extensive military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group on March 15, targeting the group over its attacks on Red Sea shipping. 

The airstrikes, marking the most significant U.S. military action in the region since Trump took office in January, killed at least 24 people and are expected to continue for days, a U.S. official said, Caliber.Az reports via Western media..

Trump also issued a direct warning to Iran, the Houthis’ main backer, stating, "America will hold you fully accountable and, we won't be nice about it!" if Tehran continues its support for the group.

The attacks come as Washington intensifies sanctions on Iran, aiming to pressure it into negotiations over its nuclear program. Addressing the Houthis, Trump declared on his Truth Social platform: "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!"

Civilian casualties reported in U.S. strikes

According to the Houthi-run health ministry, at least 13 civilians were killed and nine injured in airstrikes on the capital, Sanaa. Another strike on the northern province of Saada reportedly killed 11 people, including four children and one woman, while injuring 14 others, Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported.

The Houthis condemned the attacks as a "war crime." In a statement, the group’s political bureau declared, "Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation."

Residents in Sanaa described the intensity of the strikes. Abdullah Yahia, a local resident, told Reuters, "The explosions were violent and shook the neighborhood like an earthquake. They terrified our women and children."

Another strike on a power station in Dahyan, Saada province, led to a blackout, Al-Masirah TV reported. Dahyan is known as a meeting location for Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the group’s leader.

Houthis' Red Sea attacks and U.S. response

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have carried out numerous attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November 2023, significantly disrupting global trade. The U.S. military has responded by intercepting missiles and drones launched by the group.

According to a Pentagon spokesperson, Houthis have targeted U.S. warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023. The group claims its attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s conflict with Hamas in Gaza.

Iran’s regional allies—Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Assad regime in Syria—have faced severe setbacks. Hamas and Hezbollah have been weakened by Israeli strikes, while Syria’s Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels in December.

However, the Houthis have remained active, continuing their Red Sea campaign, which has resulted in the sinking of two vessels, the seizure of another, and the deaths of at least four seafarers. The ongoing disruptions have forced companies to reroute shipping through longer, costlier routes around southern Africa.

By Khagan Isayev