U.S. piles pressure on Yemen's Houthis with new airstrikes
The Hindu
New U.S. airstrikes in Yemen target Houthis, escalating tensions with Iran and sparking international concern.
The United States carried out new airstrikes on Yemen on Monday (March 17, 2025), the Houthis' Al Masirah TV said, expanding the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January 2025.
Responding to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement's threats to international shipping, the U.S. launched a new wave of airstrikes on Saturday (March 15, 2025). On Monday (March 17, 2025), the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah and Al Jawf governorate north of the capital Sanaa were targeted, Al Masirah said.
“At least 53 people have been killed in the attacks, Anees Alsbahi, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Health Ministry, said on Sunday (March 16, 2025.) Five children and two women were among the victims and 98 have been hurt,” Mr. Alsbahi added on X.
The Houthis, an armed movement that has taken control of most of Yemen over the past decade, have launched scores of attacks on ships off its coast since November 2023, disrupting global commerce. The U.S. campaign to intercept missiles and drones has burned through stocks of U.S. air defences.
The strikes, which one U.S. official told Reuters might continue for weeks, come as Washington ramps up sanctions pressure on Iran while trying to bring it to the negotiating table over its nuclear programme.
Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Sunday (March 16, 2025) the militants would target U.S. ships in the Red Sea as long as the U.S. continues attacks on Yemen. "If they continue their aggression, we will continue the escalation," he said in a televised speech.
The Houthi movement's political bureau described the U.S. attacks as a "war crime." Moscow urged Washington to stop them.
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