Trump tells Houthi rebels they will be ‘annihilated’ as airstrikes hit Yemen
Strikes hit Sanaa, Yemen’s rebel-held capital, as well as their stronghold of Saada in the country’s northwest on Wednesday night, it was reported
US President Donald Trump has threatened Yemen’s Houthi rebels that they will be “completely annihilated” as American airstrikes pounded locations under their control, while further pressuring the group’s main benefactor Iran.
Strikes hit Sanaa, Yemen’s rebel-held capital, as well as their stronghold of Saada in the country’s northwest on Wednesday night, the Houthi’s al-Maisrah satellite news channel reported.
It aired footage showing firefighters battling a blaze in Sanaa and damage at what it described as a sheep farm in al-Jawf.
The first strikes this weekend killed at least 53 people, including children, and wounded others.
As the strikes hit, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social website that “tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians”.
“Watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be,” Mr Trump added.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump again warned Iran not to arm the Houthis, claiming without offering evidence that Tehran “has lessened its intensity on military equipment and general support to the Houthis”.
“Iran must stop the sending of these supplies IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote.
Iran has long armed the Houthis, who are members of Islam’s minority Shiite Zaydi sect that ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. Tehran routinely denies arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous seizures and experts tying the weapons to Iran. This is likely to be because Tehran wants to avoid sanctions for violating a United Nations arms embargo on the Houthis.
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency acknowledged Mr Trump’s comments and cited remarks previously made by Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, that said Mr Trump made “baseless accusations”.
The campaign also greatly raised the Houthis’ profile in the wider Arab world and dampened down public criticism against their human rights abuses and crackdowns on dissent and aid workers.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency acknowledged the rebels had been taking food aid out of a World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse without permission. It said it took about 20% of the aid on handout.
The UN in February suspended its operations in Saada over security concerns following the detentions of dozens of UN workers and others. One WFP staffer died while imprisoned by the Houthis.
