US President Donald Trump warned Iran, holding it responsible for any future attacks by Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthi rebels. These rebels have repeatedly targeted US and foreign vessels in the Red Sea.

Trump’s Statement on Houthi Attacks

Trump took to Truth Social and declared, “Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by, IRAN. Any further attack or retaliation by the ‘Houthis’ will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there.” Moreover, he accused Iran of controlling the Houthis. He said Iran supplies them with weapons, money, military equipment, and intelligence. “Iran has played ‘the innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control. They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, Intelligence,” Trump said. Furthermore, he warned, “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”

US Strikes and Houthi Retaliation

The US has been striking Houthi targets for months. However, Trump’s remarks directly blamed Iran and increased pressure on Tehran over nuclear talks. Over the weekend, the US launched its first airstrikes on Yemen since Trump returned to office. As a result, these strikes killed 53 people and injured 98 others on Saturday. In response, the Houthis claimed to have launched two attacks on a US aircraft carrier. They also organized large protests in areas under their control.

Ongoing Conflict in the Red Sea

The US targeted the Houthis because their repeated assaults on Red Sea vessels disrupted global trade. Additionally, the Houthis said their attacks support Palestinians in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel, with US backing, continues military operations there. Before this latest strike on the US carrier group, the Houthis had not claimed responsibility for Red Sea and Gulf of Aden attacks since January 19, when a Gaza ceasefire began.

Trump’s Middle East Strategy

Despite his strong stance, Trump seeks to avoid deeper Middle East conflicts. At the same time, he has pushed for a new nuclear deal with Iran while reinstating his “maximum pressure” sanctions policy. Ultimately, his recent statements show his administration remains firm on countering Iran’s influence. In addition, he keeps military action as an option against rising threats.