U.S. warships intercepted and shot down around a dozen drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels after President Donald Trump ordered a wave of airstrikes on the country, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 100 others.
The airstrikes, carried out on Saturday, targeted Houthi-controlled areas in response to the group’s persistent attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea. According to Houthi officials, one strike hit two residential homes in northern Saada province, killing four children and a woman.
Trump defended the U.S. military action, calling it a “decisive and powerful” response to the Houthis’ ongoing threats. The rebel group has been targeting ships with Israeli affiliations in an attempt to pressure Israel into ceasing its war in Gaza.
The Houthis, however, claimed to have launched a counterattack on the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group using missiles and drones. Two U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, refuted this claim, stating they were not tracking any such attack.
A senior U.S. official noted that while roughly a dozen drones were launched by the Houthis, all were shot down “well before” they posed any real threat. Additionally, one Houthi missile reportedly failed and crashed into the sea off Yemen’s coast, prompting no response from the US Navy.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed that the group’s forces had carried out a “qualitative military operation,” targeting the U.S. warship and its escorts with 18 ballistic and cruise missiles alongside drones. However, US officials dismissed these claims, stating that no attacks on the aircraft carrier had been detected.
Tensions in the Red Sea have escalated in recent months as the U.S. and its allies – including the UK and Israel – have launched multiple strikes on Houthi targets. The rebel group had temporarily halted attacks on Israeli-linked vessels but recently resumed operations, citing Israel’s refusal to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Trump warns of further escalation
On Saturday, Trump announced a further escalation, vowing to intensify airstrikes if the Houthis did not cease their attacks.
“Hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before!” he warned in a statement on Truth Social. He also directed a message to Iran, a known supporter of the Houthis, stating that the US “will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it!”
The U.S. and other Western nations have long accused Iran of supplying the Houthis with weapons, including missiles and drones. The U.S. Navy has previously seized Iranian-made missile components allegedly bound for the Yemeni rebel group. Despite mounting international pressure, the Houthis remain defiant, with deputy head of the group’s media office, Nasruddin Amer, declaring that U.S. strikes would not deter their operations.
“Sanaa will remain Gaza’s shield and support and will not abandon it no matter the challenges,” Amer stated.
The Red Sea conflict has had widespread economic ramifications, forcing global shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Suez Canal, increasing transit times and costs. The latest escalation raises concerns that further disruptions could impact global trade routes and fuel broader regional instability.
