On social media, Mr. Trump declared: The US has caused terrible losses to the Houthis and lets see the situation get worse. This is not an equal war and will never be like that. They will be completely destroyed!.
The US airstrikes were in response to a series of Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. According to Al Jazeera, the US military has targeted locations in Hodeidah province, while Reuters news agency said the attacks also extended to Saada province, which is considered an important military stronghold of the Houthis.
Al Masirah TV channel, run by the Houthis, reported more than 10 airstrikes on the Al-Safra district of Saada, where the group's weapons depot and training facility is located.
The Yemen Health Ministry, controlled by the Houthis, said US warplanes had bombed a wedding hall under construction in the capital Sanaa, injuring nine people. The Houthis have said they will continue to respond to airstrikes by escalating attacks.
On March 17, Houthi diplomatic official Jamal Amer affirmed: "Now, we see Yemen at war with the US, which means we have the right to self-defense by all means possible, so escalation is inevitable."
The Houthi army, led by Abdul Malik al-Houthi, has controlled much of Yemen for nearly a decade and possesses an advanced arsenal of weapons, including drones and ballistic missiles.
Since the US launched airstrikes under former President Joe Biden, the group has moved weapons from locations where it is no longer kept secret and built new shelters. However, the current US airstrike campaign has targeted newly established positions, forcing the Houthi leadership to flee and cut off contact.
Tensions escalated as the Houthis announced they had carried out a third attack on a US warship in the past 48 hours. According to a post on Telegram, the group confirmed that it had used missiles and drones to target the ship USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.
In the context of the increased confrontation between the US and the Houthis, the United Nations has called on both sides to restrain and end all military actions. Mr. Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, expressed concern about US airstrikes in Yemen as well as the Houthi threat to continue attacking ships in the Red Sea.
