Washington:
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Yemen’s Iran-backed Huthi rebels “will be completely annihilated,” warning Tehran against continuing aid for the group amid an ongoing US military campaign against them.
“Iran must stop the sending of these Supplies IMMEDIATELY. Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way they lose, but this way they lose quickly,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
The Republican referenced reports that Iran “has lessened its intensity on Military Equipment and General Support” for the Huthis, though added “they are still sending large levels of Supplies.”
“Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!” his post continued.
The Huthis targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023 and until a January ceasefire, claiming solidarity with Palestinians.
But last week, they threatened to renew attacks on Israeli shipping over Israel’s aid blockade on the Palestinian territory, triggering the first US strikes on Yemen since Trump took office in January.
Washington began the new military offensive on Saturday, pledging overwhelming force until the rebels stop firing on key shipping routes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Trump has previously told Tehran that he would hold Iran responsible for any attacks carried out by the Huthis, part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against the United States and Israel.
Huthi media reported multiple US strikes Wednesday in rebel-held areas around Yemen including the capital Sanaa.
The Huthi-run health ministry said Saturday’s strikes killed 53 people and wounded nearly 100 others. The United States has said the attacks killed several top Huthi officials.
The Huthis on Wednesday also claimed to have carried out an attack on American warships in the Red Sea, the fourth strike they took credit for in the past three days.
US officials have shrugged off the Huthi claims as “lies and disinformation,” with one top military commander saying the rebels were missing their targets by over 100 miles (160 kilometers).
Yemen has seen more than a decade of civil war, with the Huthis controlling Sanaa since 2014.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)