53 Killed in US Strikes on Yemen, Say Houthis

People gather at the site of a house hit by a United States strike in Saada, Yemen. Naif Rahma-Reuters via Al-Jazeera_11zon

The death toll from recent US airstrikes on Yemen has reached 53, including five children, according to the Houthi rebels' health ministry. The strikes, which targeted Houthi positions, were described by the US as "decisive and powerful" in response to Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Some key Houthi figures are reportedly among the dead, though the group has not confirmed this.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi warned that his fighters would continue to target US ships in the Red Sea as long as the US maintains its attacks on Yemen. He said, "If the US does not stop, we will keep targeting their ships."

Updating the death toll, Houthi spokesperson Anis al-Asbahi confirmed that 53 had died, including "five children and two women," with 98 others wounded. One resident, Ahmed, described the airstrikes as unlike anything he had witnessed during years of conflict in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.

Fresh US airstrikes reportedly took place on Sunday night in Yemen’s port city of Hudaydah, though the US has yet to comment. US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz confirmed that Saturday’s strikes "targeted multiple Houthi leaders," while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed an "unrelenting" missile campaign until Houthi attacks cease.

The Houthis have declared that they will continue targeting Red Sea shipping unless Israel lifts its blockade of Gaza, claiming their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians. The Iranian-backed rebel group, which controls the capital Sanaa and other northern parts of Yemen, is not recognized as the legitimate government of the country.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have been responsible for numerous attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, sinking two ships, seizing a third, and killing four crew members.

In a statement, President Donald Trump said the US would use "overwhelming lethal force" until it achieved its objectives, accusing the Houthis of piracy, terrorism, and violence funded by Iran. He also warned the Houthis directly that "HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE" if they do not stop their attacks.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US actions, stating that the US had "no authority to dictate Iranian foreign policy" and called for an end to the violence in Yemen.

In response to the US strikes, the Houthis claimed to have targeted the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and its accompanying warships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones, though US officials reported shooting down 11 Houthi drones without any threat to the carrier.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for "utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities" in Yemen to prevent further escalation.