US Strikes Houthi Targets in Yemen Until Shipping Attacks Cease, Defense Secretary Says

US Military Operations in Yemen

• 🇺🇸 The United States has launched significant strikes in Yemen, described as the largest US military operation in the Middle East since January. These actions were in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
• 🎯 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the US will continue these strikes until the Iran-aligned Houthis cease their attacks on shipping.
• 💬 Hegseth clarified, "The minute the Houthis say we'll stop shooting at your ships, we'll stop shooting at your drones, this campaign will end." Until then, the campaign is described as "unrelenting."

Houthi Response and Stated Motivations

• 🚀 The Houthi military spokesperson claimed the group targeted the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and other warships with ballistic missiles and drones in retaliation for the US strikes.
• ⚖️ The Houthi movement's political bureau labeled the US attacks as a "war crime" and declared their forces are prepared to "meet escalation with escalation."
• 🚢 The Houthis had previously stated they would resume attacks on Israeli ships if Israel did not lift a blockade on aid entering Gaza, linking their actions to the conflict with Hamas.

International Reactions and Context

• 🚫 Former President Donald Trump urged Iran, the Houthis' main backer, to immediately stop supporting the group and threatened to hold Iran accountable.
• 🗣️ Iran condemned the US strikes, while the commander of its revolutionary guards asserted that the Houthis make their own decisions.
• 🇷🇺 Moscow has called on Washington to cease the strikes.
• 📉 The Houthi group has controlled most of Yemen for the past decade.