US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Yemen’s Houthi rebels that they would be “completely annihilated” as US airstrikes pounded locations under their control, while further pressuring the group’s main benefactor, Iran.
Strikes on Wednesday night hit Sana’a, Yemen’s rebel-held capital, as well as the stronghold of Saada in the country’s northwest, the Houthi’s al-Maisrah satellite news channel reported.
It aired footage showing firefighters battling a blaze in Sana’a and damage at what it described as a sheep farm in al-Jawf.
Photo: EPA-EFE
It also said strikes happened overnight on Tuesday, although the US military has not offered a breakdown of places targeted since the airstrikes campaign began.
As the strikes hit, Trump wrote on Truth Social 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,” Trump added. “They will be completely annihilated!”
Meanwhile, Trump again warned Iran not to arm the Houthis, saying 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 denies arming the rebels, likely to avoid sanctions for contravening a UN arms embargo.
Iran’s state-run Islamic Republic News Agency responded to Trump’s comments by citing remarks previously made by Iranian Ambassador to the UN Amir Saeed Iravani that said Trump made “baseless accusations.”
The Houthi rebels attacked more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, from November 2023 until January, when a ceasefire began in Gaza.
The campaign also greatly raised the Houthis’ profile in the wider Arab world and tamped down on public criticism against their human rights abuses, and crackdowns on dissent and aid workers.
Meanwhile, the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency yesterday reported that the rebels had been taking food aid out of a UN World Food Programme warehouse without permission.
It said it took about 20 percent of the aid on hand out.
The UN last month suspended its operations in Saada over security concerns following the detentions of dozens of UN workers and others.
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