The Pentagon late Saturday vowed “steady operations 24/7” towards Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, whereas President Trump shared a video purporting to be footage of a lethal U.S. airstrike on the insurgent group.
The video shared by the president appears to coincide with suspected U.S. airstrikes Saturday within the northern Yemeni metropolis of Saada. Houthi officers mentioned two folks had been killed and 9 others had been wounded within the assault, although the footage shared by Mr. Trump on Fact Social seems to indicate dozens of people gathered collectively earlier than an obvious explosion.
“These Houthis gathered for directions on an assault. Oops, there shall be no assault by these Houthis!” the president posted. “They’ll by no means sink our ships once more!”
In a social media publish, U.S. Central Command didn’t share the identical footage because the president however did launch new video from the Harry S. Truman provider strike group, which CENTCOM mentioned is “launching steady operations 24/7 towards Iran-backed Houthis.”
The Trump administration has launched a flurry of airstrikes towards the Houthis in current weeks. Officers mentioned there have been greater than 200 strikes since March 15, although the small print of the overwhelming majority of these strikes stay murky.
The assaults on the Houthis, who’re financially and logistically backed by Iran, are a part of the Trump administration’s technique to put stress on Tehran. The administration is looking for a deal to restrict Iran’s quickly accelerating nuclear program.
U.S. operations towards the Houthis, coupled with Israeli navy operations towards different Iran-backed proxy teams equivalent to Hamas and Hezbollah, are a part of that broader stress marketing campaign on Iran.
The Pentagon has lately dispatched further navy belongings to the area. Along with the Truman provider strike group, protection officers final week mentioned the Carl Vinson Service Strike Group, now within the Indo-Pacific, will quickly head to the Mideast. And The Related Press, citing satellite tv for pc pictures that it seen, has reported that not less than six, nuclear-capable B-2 Spirit bombers have been deployed to the U.S. navy base on the island of Diego Garcia within the Indian Ocean.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have focused greater than 100 ships, together with U.S. navy vessels, with missiles and drones. The Trump administration has warned Iran that it may face direct navy motion if it doesn’t cease its assist for the Houthis, who’re a part of Iran’s broader “axis of resistance” throughout the area.
