Trump Vows to “Annihilate” Houthis, Blames Iran for Support

President Donald Trump has renewed his call for Iran to cease its support for the Houthi group in Yemen, vowing that the United States will defeat the organization, which he characterized as “barbarians,”Al Jazeera reports.

Trump’s comments follow a series of attacks claimed by the Houthis targeting American warships in the Red Sea and a missile launch towards Israel.

On Wednesday, the US conducted further strikes on Houthi strongholds in Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa.

“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,” Trump wrote in a social media post. “They will be completely annihilated!”

Since 2023, the Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea and launching missiles at Israel, claiming these actions are intended to pressure Israel to end its military operations in Gaza. After a pause during a recent Gaza truce, the group resumed its attacks earlier this month, citing Israel’s blockade on humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory. They also cited Israel’s renewed military operations in Gaza as justification for resuming direct military actions against Israel.

Trump said to have seen “reports” suggesting that Iran is decreasing its support for the Houthis but continues to send substantial supplies. He urged Iran to immediately halt the delivery of supplies:

“Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way they lose, but this way they lose quickly.”

Trump has previously threatened Iran with retaliation if it fails to restrain the Houthis.

While the Houthis are allied with Iran, the extent of Iranian influence and control over the group’s actions remains debated. Trump has consistently portrayed the Houthis as a proxy of the Iranian government.

“Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire,” Trump wrote on social media on Saturday, at the start of the most recent US bombing campaign.

The Houthis have dismissed the US threats and airstrikes, vowing to continue their attacks until Israel ends its offensive in Gaza.

Trump’s administration initially designated the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization.” The Biden administration later revised this designation to “specially designated global terrorists.”