Former U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that Iran will be held directly responsible for any future attacks by Yemen’s Tehran-backed Huthi rebels, who have repeatedly targeted U.S. and foreign ships in the Red Sea.
“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Monday.
Trump’s statement comes after U.S. airstrikes in Yemen over the weekend killed 53 people and wounded 98, marking the first major military action of his new term. In response, the Huthis claimed responsibility for two strikes on a U.S. aircraft carrier and staged mass protests in areas under their control.
The U.S. has been targeting Huthi positions for months in response to their repeated assaults on Red Sea shipping, a critical global trade route. The Iran-aligned rebels have justified their attacks as a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing war, backed by the U.S.
Trump, who has sought to avoid deeper U.S. involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts, reiterated his stance on Tehran, accusing Iran of portraying itself as an “innocent victim” while backing the Huthis. He warned that any further aggression would be met “with great force.”
The Huthis had largely refrained from attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, following a ceasefire in Gaza. However, the latest escalation raises tensions in the region, with Trump simultaneously pursuing a new nuclear deal with Iran while reinstating his “maximum pressure” sanctions policy.
