US strikes Yemen's Houthi rebels

The U.S. attacked Yemen’s Houthi-held areas Saturday, with President Donald Trump promising to use "overwhelming lethal force" until the Iran-backed rebels stop attacking ships and disturbing maritime commerce. 

He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country "fully accountable" for the actions of its proxy.

What they're saying:

"Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom," Trump said in a social media post. "No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World."

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Trump announced the strikes as he spent the day at his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

A plume of smoke billows during a US strike on Yemen's Huthi-held capital Sanaa early on March 16, 2025. The first US strikes against Yemen's Huthis since President Donald Trump took office in January killed at least 31 people, the rebels said on Mar

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US strikes Yemen’s Houthi rebels

What we know:

The Houthis reported explosions in their territory Saturday evening, in the capital of Sanaa and the northern province of Saada, the rebels’ stronghold on the border with Saudi Arabia, with more airstrikes reported in those areas early Sunday. Images online showed plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility. The Houthis also reported airstrikes early Sunday on the provinces of Hodeida, Bayda, and Marib.

The Houthis said at least 31 people were killed and another 101 were wounded. The casualties include women and children. 

What we don't know:

 A U.S. official told the Associated Press that U.S. attacks in Yemen will continue, but it’s unclear for how long. 

Why did the U.S. attack Houthis in Yemen? 

The backstory:

The airstrikes come a few days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen in response to Israel’s latest blockade on Gaza. They described the warning as affecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Arabian Sea.

There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.

Earlier this month, Israel halted all aid coming into Gaza and warned of "additional consequences" for Hamas if their fragile ceasefire in the war isn’t extended as negotiations continue over starting a second phase.

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The Houthis had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, during their campaign targeting military and civilian ships between the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in late 2023 and January of this year, when this ceasefire in Gaza took effect.

The United States, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen, but Saturday's operation was conducted solely by the U.S., according to a U.S. official. It was the first strike on the Yemen-based Houthis under the second Trump administration.

The other side:

Nasruddin Amer, deputy head of the Houthi media office, said the airstrikes won’t deter them and they would retaliate against the U.S.

Another spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, on X, called Trump’s claims that the Houthis threaten international shipping routes "false and misleading."

Iran’s nuclear program advancing

Big picture view:

The latest attacks on Yemen also come two weeks after Trump sent a letter to Iranian leaders offering a path to restarting bilateral talks between the countries on Iran’s advancing nuclear program. Trump has said he will not allow it to become operational.