US, Houthis Ready for War, Iran Claims No Involvement

CAIRO, MONDAY - The United States and the Houthi group in Yemen are both not hesitant to escalate. Following the US attack, the Houthis have retaliated by attacking the US military. While various parties are calling for peace, Iran claims it is not involved and denounces US accusations.

US warplanes struck Sanaa and Saada, Houthi strongholds, Saturday (3/15/2025), killing at least 53 people and wounding nearly 100. Washington said the Houthis were carrying out hijackings and attacks on US ships in the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping corridors.

"We're not going to let these people control which ships get through and which ships don't. How long is this going to go on? It's going to go on until they no longer have the ability to do it," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS on Sunday (3/16/2025).

The Red Sea is a vital route for 12 percent of global shipping traffic. Rubio said that in the past 18 months, the Houthis have directly attacked the US Navy 174 times and targeted commercial shipping 145 times. The Houthis are said to be using “precision-guided anti-ship weapons.”

Rubio said the US strike would not be a one-off retaliatory strike, as it was under US President Joe Biden. US President Donald Trump has vowed to use “lethal force” until the Houthis stop attacking and has called on Iran to be held accountable.

A US official said the US military campaign could continue for weeks. On Monday, Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV said the US launched two strikes targeting Hodeidah.

"Once the Houthis say they're going to stop shooting at ships, we're going to stop shooting at your drones. This campaign will end, but until then, this campaign will never end," U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News.

The Houthis have repeatedly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea, including sinking two vessels, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting. Both the Houthis and Hamas are allies of Iran.

The Houthis' Red Sea operations stopped when a Hamas-Israel ceasefire came into effect on Jan. 19, 2025, the day before Trump took office. But last week, the Houthis said they would again attack Israeli ships after Israel halted the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

The Houthi political bureau said the group would respond to the US strikes. The Houthis have now vowed to target US cargo ships in the Red Sea, after previously threatening to renew attacks on Israeli cargo after the ceasefire.

"America will now be subject to an embargo as long as it continues its aggression. We will confront escalation with escalation, and we will respond to the American enemy by targeting its aircraft carriers and warships and banning its ships," Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Sunday (16/3/2025).

Abdul Malik al-Houthi continued, if the US aggression against Yemen continues, the Houthis will turn to additional escalation options.

The group's leader also called for a million-strong protest. "I call on the people to come out tomorrow on the anniversary of the Battle of Badr in a million-strong protest in Sanaa and all the provinces," Abdul Malik al-Houthi said, referring to the battle won by the Prophet Muhammad.

The US airstrike was one of the most extensive attacks on the Houthis since the Hamas-Israel war began in October 2023. "The strike actually targeted some of the Houthi leaders and took them out," US National Security Adviser Michael Waltz told ABC.

Waltz did not identify the person or provide evidence. However, Rubio claimed several Houthi facilities had been destroyed.

In retaliation, the Houthis claimed to have targeted the US military with missiles and drones. They launched 18 missiles and a drone.

“In response to this aggression, the armed forces carried out a military operation targeting the US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its accompanying warships,” the Houthi statement said.

The USS Harry Truman includes an aircraft carrier, three destroyers and a cruiser that are currently in the Red Sea. The cruise missile submarine USS Georgia is also operating in the area.

The Houthis did retaliate, firing 11 drones and at least one missile over about 12 hours, according to an unnamed US official.

However, the official said, U.S. Air Force fighter jets intercepted 10 drones and Navy F/A-18 fighter jets intercepted one. Meanwhile, the missiles fell into waters off the coast of Yemen, far from the ships. "The U.S. military did not take any action because it was not considered a threat," he said.

Previously, Trump told Iran to immediately stop supporting the group. If Iran threatens the US, Trump will hold it fully accountable and the US will not be nice.

Iran's Revolutionary Guards Commander General Hossein Salami denied his country was involved in the Houthi attacks on Sunday (3/16/2025). Iran, he said, has no role in determining the Houthi's national or operational policies.

"We warn our enemies that Iran will respond decisively and destructively if they carry out their threats," Salami told state TV.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged the US to stop its airstrikes on the platform X, saying Washington cannot dictate Iran's foreign policy.

The US and other countries have long accused Iran of providing military aid to the Houthis. The US Navy has seized Iranian-made missile parts and other weapons reportedly destined for the Houthis. The US, Israel and Britain have all struck Houthi-held areas.

Russia has joined Washington's call to halt the attack on Yemen. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called Rubio to urge an immediate halt to the use of force and the need for all sides to engage in political dialogue, Moscow said.

The United Nations (UN) in a statement expressed concern over the US strikes in Yemen that resulted in deaths and injuries. The UN is also concerned about the continued threat from the Houthis to ships in the Red Sea.

The UN called for “utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities”, warning of serious risks to the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Arab world’s poorest country.

"Any additional escalation could exacerbate regional tensions, trigger a cycle of retaliation that could further destabilize Yemen and the region, and pose a serious risk to the already dire humanitarian situation in the country," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, Sunday (16/3/2025).

As reported by Anadolu news agency, Dujarric emphasized that the UN emphasized that international law, including international humanitarian law, must be respected at all times.

“The UN remains committed to continuing its efforts towards broader de-escalation in Yemen and continued engagement with Yemeni, regional and international stakeholders to secure a sustainable and peaceful resolution of the conflict, and ultimately a better future for the Yemeni people,” Dujarric said. (AP/AFP/Reuters)