The United States launched new airstrikes on Yemen on Monday, targeting key locations controlled by the Houthi movement, according to reports from Houthi-run Al Masirah TV. This marks the continuation of the largest U.S. military operation in the region since President Donald Trump’s administration took office.
The strikes are a direct response to the Houthi movement’s threats to international shipping. The latest wave of attacks, which began on Saturday, targeted the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and the Al Jawf governorate north of Sanaa. The Houthi-run health ministry reported that at least 53 people were killed in these airstrikes, including five children and two women, while 98 others were injured.
The Houthis, who have been fighting against a Saudi-led coalition for nearly a decade, have ramped up attacks on international vessels since November 2023, disrupting global shipping. U.S. officials have suggested that these operations could persist for weeks, as Washington increases sanctions on Iran while attempting to bring Tehran to the negotiating table over its nuclear ambitions.
The Houthis justify their attacks on ships, claiming they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The U.S. and its allies, however, describe these actions as reckless and harmful to global trade.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi declared on Sunday that his forces would continue targeting U.S. ships in the Red Sea as long as U.S. attacks on Yemen persist. Under his leadership, the group has grown from a small movement to an armed force with tens of thousands of fighters and an advanced arsenal, including drones and ballistic missiles, which are believed to be supplied by Iran—a claim Tehran denies.
The Houthis maintain they are not mere proxies of Iran, despite Tehran’s support, and their primary objectives remain domestic, rooted in Yemen’s political struggle. On Monday, the group’s military spokesman claimed responsibility for a second attack on the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea, though no evidence was provided.
The Houthis are part of the broader “Axis of Resistance,” an alliance of anti-Israel and anti-Western groups backed by Iran, which also includes Hamas and Hezbollah. Despite significant setbacks to many of Iran’s regional allies, including the deaths of top Hamas and Hezbollah leaders and the weakening of the Assad regime in Syria, the Houthis have persisted in their fight against Saudi-led forces in Yemen.
In related violence, an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian men in Rafah, southern Gaza, on Monday. The strike was part of Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hamas, which began after the deadly October 2023 attacks. The incident highlights the ongoing fragility of ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas, with no sign of progress in negotiations to extend the temporary truce.
The Houthis have vowed to intensify their attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea unless Israel lifts its blockade on aid entering Gaza. They have also launched drones and missiles toward Israeli targets. In response, Israel has warned the Houthis to cease these actions, threatening them with a similar fate to that of Hamas, Hezbollah, and Bashar al-Assad. Meanwhile, former President Trump has urged Iran to stop its support for the Houthis.
On Sunday, U.S. forces shot down 11 Houthi drones, and U.S. officials confirmed tracking a missile that splashed down off the coast of Yemen.