U.S. President Donald Trump warned on Wednesday that while Iran has reduced military equipment and direct support to the Houthis, it is still supplying them with large quantities of materiel.
"Iran must stop sending these supplies IMMEDIATELY," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way, they lose—but this way, they lose quickly."
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US President Donald Trump
(Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria)
Trump claimed that significant damage had already been inflicted on the Houthis and warned that it would only intensify. "It's not even a fair fight, and never will be," he added. "They will be completely annihilated!"
Since October 2023, these Houthi attacks—described by the group as acts of solidarity with Gaza—have inflicted severe damage on global maritime trade, forcing vessels to reroute away from the Suez Canal and drastically raising insurance costs.
On Tuesday, three days after U.S. airstrikes began, the Houthis’ foreign minister saidthe group was now effectively at war with the United States, warning of further escalation. In an interview with Reuters, Foreign Minister Jamal Amer also threatened Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, cautioning them against intervention while praising their neutral stance so far.
US strikes in Sanaa, Yemen
(Video: Reuters)
Meanwhile, Reuters cited two senior Iranian officials who said Tehran had twice urged the Houthis to de-escalate tensions, signaling concerns over the widening conflict.
At the launch of the operation on Saturday, Trump warned the Houthis that "hell will rain down" upon them and declared, "Your time is up." According to U.S. officials, several senior Houthi commanders have been killed since the strikes began.
While the Pentagon initially signaled the campaign could last for weeks, officials on Tuesday adopted a more cautious tone, stating that the U.S. is not seeking to overthrow the Houthi regime and that airstrikes will cease once the group commits to halting its attacks.