Trump launches military strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen

Jennifer A. Dlouhy and Victoria Cavaliere, Bloomberg News on Mar 15, 2025

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said he ordered military attacks against sites in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia after months of disruption to shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

Trump said on Saturday the strikes came in response to the Houthis’ maritime attacks on vessels sailing through the Suez Canal and southern Red Sea, ostensibly in solidarity with Hamas following the 2023 outbreak of its war with Israel in Gaza.

The strikes were described as more far-reaching than those undertaken under former President Joe Biden, and were set to last days, if not weeks, an administration official said.

“These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” he said.

He added in a later post on X: “To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP...”

The repeated attacks have prompted most Western shippers to avoid the area and go around southern Africa instead — a much longer route.

The full scale and scope of the U.S. military attacks weren’t immediately clear.

The Houthi health ministry said in a statement that nine people were killed and nine others wounded in military strikes in Sana’a. Houthi media also reported other strikes on Saada province, the Houthi main stronghold.

Spokespeople for the White House National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The campaign was previously reported by the New York Times.

The military action comes just days after the Houthi militant group vowed to resume attacking Israeli ships if more aid doesn’t reach Gaza.

The U.S., U.K. and Israel have carried out other airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since early 2024 in an effort to stop assaults on ships and on Israel. Those strikes had been halted since a truce in Gaza began in January.

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(With assistance from Susanne Barton and Mohammed Hatem.)