On the 15th (local time), U.S. forces, following orders from President Donald Trump, attacked Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, killing at least 9.
President Trump noted on social media that he ordered U.S. forces to take decisive and powerful military action targeting Houthi terrorists in Yemen.
President Trump warned, "We will use overwhelming and lethal force until we achieve our objectives" and added, "To all Houthi terrorists, your time is up. Your attacks must end as of today." He further stated, "If they do not stop attacking U.S. commercial vessels, they will face Hell raining down like never seen before."
President Trump directed Iran to "immediately cease support for Houthi terrorists" and warned, "If the threats do not stop, they will be held fully accountable." He stated that the Houthis' attacks on U.S. forces have caused billions of dollars in damages to the U.S. and the global economy and put innocent lives at risk.
U.S. media outlets, including CNN, evaluated President Trump's order for the Houthi strikes as "the largest deployment of force overseas since Trump took office on Jan. 20."
Earlier, on the 4th, the U.S. State Department designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, stating that they had carried out hundreds of attacks on U.S. forces protecting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
According to Reuters, a spokesperson for Yemen's Ministry of Health stated that at least 9 civilians were killed and 9 wounded in U.S. airstrikes targeting the capital, Sana'a. The Houthis asserted in a statement via Al-Masirah TV, "We will not let this invasion go unanswered. Our Yemeni forces are fully prepared to respond with escalation."