At least 31 individuals lost their lives in Yemen following US President Donald Trump’s directive to carry out intensified strikes in retaliation for Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The Houthi political bureau denounced the strikes as a “war crime” and announced their intention to “meet escalation with escalation” after the United States ordered air strikes against the group.

According to Houthi Health Ministry spokesperson Anis Al-Asbahi, the strikes targeted the capital, Sanaa, and areas in Saada, Al Bayda, and Radaa, resulting in the death of at least 31 people (most of whom were children and women) and 101 injuries.

Trump emphasized that he would employ “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis cease their attacks on shipping in the critical maritime corridor of the Red Sea.

The Houthis, who initiated their attacks on shipping containers in response to Israel’s war on Gaza in 2023 to defend Palestinians, vowed to continue their naval operation until the Gaza blockade is lifted and aid is allowed into the region.

The Houthis had halted their attacks when the ceasefire in Gaza took effect in January and no attacks had been initiated in the two months since.

At the beginning of March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the suspension of aid deliveries to Gaza, aiming to pressure Hamas into accepting an extension of the first stage of the ceasefire deal.

On Tuesday, the Houthis declared their intention to resume attacks after their deadline for Israel to allow aid deliveries into Gaza expired.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on Sunday morning that the United States would carry out unrelenting strikes against the Houthis until they stop targeting US assets and global shipping.

The attacks were in response to numerous Houthi attacks on ships since November 2023 and served as a warning to Iran to cease supporting the group.

The US and its allies have been conducting bombing campaigns in Yemen since January 2024 in response to Israel’s war in Gaza and the Houthis’ ongoing maritime campaign.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz both stated that the US military campaign will continue until the Houthis are no longer able to strike ships, blaming Iran for supporting the group.

However, the Houthis have not confirmed the comments made by Waltz.

Nabeel Khoury, a former US diplomat, believes that Trump’s decision to launch attacks against the Houthis is “misguided.” Khoury argues that the Houthis, who have been targeted in severe bombings, are unlikely to be subdued through bombings alone and that diplomacy could be used to resolve the issue of attacks on shipping containers.

General Hossein Salami, head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), denied Iran’s involvement in the Houthi attacks and stated that Iran plays no role in setting the national or operational policies of the groups it aligns with in the region.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the United States to halt the strikes and emphasized that Washington cannot dictate Iran’s foreign policy.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/3/16/houthis-vow-response-as-us-says-unrelenting-strikes-to-continue-in-yemen?traffic_source=rss