The United States conducted overnight airstrikes on multiple Houthi strongholds in Yemen, including Saada province and the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemeni sources reported. These areas are known to house key Iran-aligned Houthi leaders and heavily fortified military sites.
Houthi-run Al Masirah TV confirmed that more than 10 U.S. airstrikes hit various locations, including the Al-Safra district of Saada, a critical hub for weapons storage and training. The strikes mark the most significant U.S. military operation in the Middle East since the escalation of Red Sea attacks.
The airstrikes were launched in response to the Houthis’ continued assaults on Red Sea shipping lanes. The Iran-backed group has carried out over 100 attacks on commercial vessels since Israel’s war with Hamas began in late 2023, citing support for Gaza’s Palestinians. These disruptions to global trade have prompted the U.S. military to intercept incoming missiles at a high cost.
Houthi leaders warned of further escalation. Speaking from Sanaa, Houthi foreign minister Jamal Amer told Reuters:
Now we see that Yemen is at war with the U.S., and that means that we have a right to defend ourselves with all possible means, so escalation is likely.
The Houthis are a key part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, an anti-Western coalition that includes Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq.
U.S. President Donald Trump and other Western leaders have called for holding Iran accountable for future Houthi aggression. Meanwhile, two senior Iranian officials told Reuters that Tehran sent a verbal message urging the Houthis to de-escalate.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, recently declared they would resume attacks on Israeli-linked vessels after a brief pause following a January ceasefire in Gaza. Under the leadership of Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the group has expanded its ranks to tens of thousands and amassed a growing arsenal of drones and ballistic missiles.
According to Yemeni sources, Houthi leaders have gone into hiding, fearing targeted U.S. airstrikes. Many have cut off communications by switching off mobile devices. The only senior leader to appear in public recently was Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the militia’s Supreme Revolutionary Committee, who was seen disguised as a civilian on public transport before delivering a speech in Sanaa.
Amid the ongoing conflict, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the resumption of airstrikes on Gaza, prompting the Houthis to vow expanded missile and drone attacks on Israeli targets.
A Houthi military spokesperson claimed without evidence that the group had targeted the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. However, a U.S. defense official confirmed that American warplanes shot down 11 Houthi drones, none of which posed a direct threat to the carrier. A separate missile was tracked and deemed non-threatening.
As tensions in the Red Sea and the broader Middle East continue to rise, U.S. forces remain on high alert for further retaliatory strikes from the Houthis and their allies.
