US Launches Major Airstrikes in Yemen, 53 Reported Dead
The U.S. launched major airstrikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen on Saturday after President Donald Trump ordered “decisive” military action against Houthi rebels responsible for attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.
The strikes hit the capital, Sana’a, as well as on areas in Saada, Al-Bayda and Radaa, and killed at least 53 individuals, according to Houthi officials. Washington reported that several key Houthi figures were among the casualties, though the group has not confirmed this.
The operation, led by the U.S. Central Command involved fighter jets from the USS Harry S. Truman and F/A-18E/F Super Hornets.
Videos circulating online showed plumes of black smoke rising over the Sana’a airport complex, which houses a large military facility. The Houthis also reported airstrikes early Sunday on the provinces of Hodeida, Bayda, and Marib. Yemen’s Ministry of Health and Environment said the attack targeted medical facilities, including the Cancer Center building and drug stores in Saada Governorate.
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said the U.S. would deploy “overwhelming lethal force” against the Houthis “until we have achieved our objective.”
“Your time is up. If attacks continue, hell will rain down upon you,” Trump said. The U.S. president also warned Iran to immediately halt its support for the group. He stated that if Iran threatened the United States, “America will hold you fully accountable and we won’t be nice about it!”
The U.S. airstrikes followed Houthi threats to renew attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s blockade on Gaza.
On Sunday, the Houthis claimed to have launched 18 missiles and drones at the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman in the northern Red Sea in response to “American aggression.”
“If they continue their aggression, we will continue the escalation,” the group’s leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said.
Throughout 2024, the CENTCOM and its partners conducted large-scale airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas, including multiple strikes on the capital, Sana’a. One of the most recent occurred in late December, when the Truman Carrier Strike Group targeted more than a dozen sites.
