Trump warns Houthis strikes 'have only just begun' if Red Sea attacks go on
'The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come'
US President Donald Trump issued an additional warning on Monday to the Houthis in Yemen and Iran.
Much of the Houthi fighting force has "been decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks," Trump said on his Truth social media. "Many of their fighters and leaders are no longer with us. We hit them every day and night — Harder and harder."
The Houthis began enforcing a blockade on Red Sea shipping in the wake of the massacre on October 7, 2023, expressing solidarity with the Gaza Strip as Israel launched its Swords of Iron after some 250 hostages were taken from Israeli communities.
These attacks also reached Israel, with drone and missile attacks launched, including last weekend. The US attacks from sea and air represent a sharp increase in pressure compared to the comparitively tepid response of the Biden administration.
Trump's response, he said, against "capabilities that threaten shipping and the region" have ensured these "are rapidly being destroyed." He said the operations will "continue until they are no longer a threat to freedom of navigation. The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran."
The Houthis reportedly admitted that many leaders and fighters for the Iran-backed proxy group had been eliminated. Despite this, they vowed to continue fighting.
Trump earlier warned Iran that its only alternative to diplomacy over its nuclear program is to face an unprecedented military operation.
Iran issued its own warning to the US on Monday, with reports saying that launchers across the country had loaded missiles in preparation for a US attack.