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President Donald Trump said he ordered military attacks against sites in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia after months of disruption to shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
Trump said on Saturday the strikes came in response to the Houthis’ maritime attacks on vessels sailing through the Suez Canal and southern Red Sea, ostensibly in solidarity with Hamas following the 2023 outbreak of its war with Israel in Gaza.
“These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” he said.
The repeated attacks have prompted most Western shippers to avoid the area and go around southern Africa instead — a much longer route.
The full scale and scope of the US military attacks weren’t immediately clear. Spokespeople for the White House National Security Council didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The campaign was previously reported by the New York Times.
The military action comes just days after the Houthi militant group vowed to resume attacking Israeli ships if more aid doesn’t reach Gaza.
The US, UK and Israel have carried out other airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since early 2024 in an effort to stop assaults on ships and on Israel. Those strikes had been halted since a truce in Gaza began in January.
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