Yemen’s Houthi movement has claimed to have launched a retaliatory attack against the United States following airstrikes that resulted in the deaths of at least 53 people, including women and children, escalating tensions in the region amid the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The Houthis’ military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, stated that the group targeted the USS Harry S Truman and other U.S. warships using 18 ballistic and cruise missiles, along with drones. However, the U.S. has not yet commented on these claims.
According to Anees Alsbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry, the death toll from Saturday’s U.S. airstrikes has reached 53, with five children and two women among the casualties. The number of injured has risen to 98.
In a televised address, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking regional dominance and vowed to retaliate against the U.S. with missile strikes and attacks on naval vessels. He also reaffirmed that the Houthis would continue targeting maritime routes in the Red Sea until Israel lifts its blockade on Gaza.
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The latest U.S. strikes were carried out in response to ongoing Houthi attacks on international shipping, which began in 2023 as a protest against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that Washington would use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis ceased their operations.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in an interview with Fox News, stated that airstrikes would persist until the Houthis stopped attacking global shipping routes. He emphasized that the campaign also served as a warning to Iran, which the U.S. accuses of supporting the Houthis.
Similarly, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the strikes aimed to weaken the Houthis’ ability to target vessels. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz claimed that multiple Houthi leaders had been killed in the attacks, though the Houthis have not confirmed these reports.
The Houthis had previously paused their maritime attacks following a Gaza ceasefire earlier this year but resumed operations last week, alleging that Israel was blocking humanitarian aid to the besieged territory. In early March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced restrictions on aid deliveries to pressure Hamas into agreeing to a prolonged ceasefire.
Former U.S. diplomat Nabeel Khoury criticized Washington’s strategy, arguing that airstrikes were unlikely to deter the Houthis, who have endured extensive bombing campaigns in the past.
Meanwhile, Iran has denied any involvement in the Houthis’ military actions. General Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, stated that Tehran does not direct the operations of its regional allies.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to exercise restraint, warning that continued hostilities could further destabilize the region and exacerbate Yemen’s humanitarian crisis.
Since January 2024, the U.S. and its allies have conducted multiple airstrikes against Houthi targets in response to attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. While Washington insists that the Houthis act as an Iranian proxy, Tehran has consistently denied direct involvement.
