WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump ordered a series of powerful airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, vowing to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels stop attacking ships along a key maritime corridor. The strikes reportedly killed 13 civilians, according to Houthi officials.
“Our brave warfighters are currently carrying out aerial attacks on terrorist bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets—and to restore navigational freedom,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the waterways of the world.”
Trump also issued a direct warning to Iran, demanding that it stop backing the Houthi rebels and promising to hold Tehran “fully accountable” for their actions. This escalation comes two weeks after Trump sent a letter to Iranian leaders, offering to reopen talks over Iran’s advancing nuclear weapons program—a program Trump has vowed to prevent from becoming operational.
The Houthis reported explosions on Saturday evening in Sanaa and Saada, their stronghold near the Saudi border. Images circulating online showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the Sanaa airport complex, which houses a large military facility.
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