Dozens of Casualties in U.S. Strikes on Yemen, Houthis Threaten Retaliation

Houthi-affiliated media reported that the ongoing U.S. airstrikes on Yemen have resulted in dozens of casualties, both dead and wounded, with the group vowing to retaliate. Meanwhile, American officials indicated that these strikes could continue for weeks in an effort to halt the maritime threat in the region.

The airstrikes and missile launches from U.S. warships in the Red Sea began Saturday evening under orders from President Donald Trump. The Houthis stated that the attacks initially targeted Sana’a and later expanded to include Saada, Dhammar, Marib, and Taiz, with more than 40 airstrikes confirmed.

Houthi media outlets reported that the airstrikes resumed early on Sunday, resulting in 31 deaths and 101 injuries, the majority of which occurred in Sana’a and Saada.

According to the same sources, 13 people were killed in a strike targeting the Jarf neighborhood in northern Sana’a, while four children and a woman were killed when two homes in northern Saada were hit.

While U.S. officials confirmed that the strikes targeted military sites, the Houthi group insisted that the bombardments hit civilian locations, including a power station in Saada.

U.S. officials reported that the strikes were partially carried out by fighter jets from the USS Harry Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, targeting dozens of sites, including radars, air defense systems, missile systems, and drones.

U.S. Central Command released images showing missiles being launched from a warship towards Yemen.

These U.S. attacks come after the Houthis announced that they would resume targeting Israeli ships in the region’s maritime routes in response to the blockade on Gaza, and after the Trump administration designated them a “terrorist organization.”

“Escalation for Escalation”

The Houthi political office condemned the bombing, stating that “the American-British aggression” would not go unanswered, and that their forces were fully prepared to retaliate.

In a statement, the office added that these strikes would not deter the Yemeni people from continuing their support for Palestine, particularly aiding the people of Gaza and their resistance.

The statement also said that “the blatant aggression against our country proves that America is fighting on behalf of the Zionist entity.”

Meanwhile, the Houthi spokesman early Sunday morning referred to the U.S. airstrikes on Yemen as “an assault on an independent country and encouragement for Israel’s unjust siege on Gaza.” He added that what President Trump claimed about the threat to international shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was merely disinformation to mislead the international community.

“Decisive Operation”

President Trump stated on Saturday that he had ordered the military to launch a “decisive and strong” operation against what he described as the Houthi “terrorists” in Yemen.

Trump said the U.S. would not tolerate attacks on American ships, and would use what he called “overwhelming deadly force” to achieve their objectives.

He also threatened the Houthis with dire consequences, asserting that no “terrorist force” would prevent American commercial and naval vessels from navigating freely through international waterways.

In parallel with his threats to the Houthis, Trump warned Iran not to continue supporting the Yemeni group, saying that if Tehran threatened the United States, “America will hold you fully responsible, and we will not be kind in this matter.”

Justifying the operation, the White House stated that Houthi attacks had caused around 60% of ships to reroute to Africa instead of crossing the Red Sea. The statement also mentioned that they had attacked U.S. warships 174 times and commercial ships 145 times since 2023.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Trump had sent a strong and clear message to the “Iran-backed Houthi terrorists.”

He added that the attacks on U.S. vessels and global shipping must stop, reiterating that the U.S. would continue to protect freedom of navigation.

Strikes for Weeks

Meanwhile, U.S. Central Command announced that its forces had begun a large-scale operation against the Houthis, describing the strikes as “precise.”

They said the operations targeted Houthi sites to defend U.S. interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.

American media outlets reported that U.S. officials said the airstrikes were the beginning of a series of events that could last days or weeks. Reuters also quoted U.S. officials stating that President Trump had allowed a more aggressive approach toward the Houthis than the previous administration.

ABC News cited an informed source who indicated that the U.S. attacks could intensify and expand depending on the Houthis’ response, noting that the strikes were carried out solely by the U.S.

A U.S. defense official told CNN that any further actions after Saturday’s strikes would depend on the damage assessment from the strikes.

CNN also reported that there would be no ground invasion in Yemen, but rather a series of targeted and ongoing strategic attacks.

The New York Times reported that officials in Washington and the Middle East were bracing for a counterattack from the Houthis.

In the same context, The Wall Street Journal quoted a U.S. defense official saying that the downing of an American drone and Houthi threats of further attacks had prompted the military to renew its operations against them.

Meanwhile, Axios reported that an Israeli official said the U.S. had given Israel advance notice of the strikes in Yemen.

Reactions

In reactions, Hamas condemned the U.S. airstrikes, describing them as “criminal aggression and a blatant violation of international law, and an attack on Yemen’s sovereignty and stability.” The Islamic Jihad Movement also stated that the bombing of Yemen “is direct support for Israel and its crimes against the Palestinian people and the peoples of the region, especially in Syria and Lebanon.”

Supporting Gaza, the Houthis began targeting Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb in November 2023, engaging repeatedly with U.S. and British forces in the area.