Sanaa (South24 Center)

On Saturday (March 15), the US launched large-scale airstrikes on Houthi targets in Sanaa, hitting radars, air defenses and missile systems, as US President Donald Trump declared that the Houthis’ “time is up”. The airstrikes killed nine people while nine others were injured.

The US airstrikes, the first in Trump’s second presidential term, came days after the Houthis announced the resumption of maritime attacks on vessels linked to Israel.

Eyewitnesses said that they heard three strong explosions north of Sanaa and that columns of smoke could be seen rising from several locations. Deputy head of the Houthi media department Nasraldin Amer said that “Sanaa is facing aggression”.

The New York Times quoted US sources as saying that the US airstrikes targeted radars, air defenses, missile systems, and drones as part of an operation aimed to reimpose the US deterrence in the face of the Houthi’s growing threats.

In a statement issued on ’Truth Social‘, President Trump said: “Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones. Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak”, which allowed the Iran-backed Houthis to play with international security but that is over today.

He threatened the Houthis by saying: “Your time is up, and your attacks must stop, starting today. If they don’t, hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before”. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World,” Trump declared. adding that his country will use “overwhelming lethal force” to achieve its goals.

The military strikes, described by The New York Times as being the biggest since the launch of the deterrent campaign against the Houthis, came after the group announced shooting down an American MQ-9 Reaper drone on March 4. According to the newspaper, the Pentagon officials considered this a remarkable improvement in the Houthi’s missile capabilities with direct Iranian support.

CENTCOM Forces Launch Large Scale Operation Against Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen

On March 15, U.S. Central Command initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and… pic.twitter.com/u5yx8WneoG

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 15, 2025

The New York Times quoted American officials as saying that some of Trump’s national security advisors want to pursue an even more aggressive campaign and target the Houthis’ sensitive underground military facilities. However, Trump is still wary of engaging in a larger military campaign that may lead to an uncalculated confrontation against Iran.

According to the newspaper, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been pushing President Trump to authorize a joint US-Israel operation to destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons facilities, taking advantage of a moment when Iran’s air defenses are exposed. Nonetheless, the report said that Trump is still resisting these pressures, stressing that his priority is to deter the Houthis without sliding into a larger conflict in the Middle East.

In Sanaa, Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam condemned the US airstrikes, calling them "a blatant act of aggression against a sovereign nation and an encouragement for the Zionist entity to continue its unjust siege on Gaza."

Abdulsalam further stated: "What the US president claims about a threat to international navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait is false and misleading to the international community. The maritime blockade announced by Yemen in support of Gaza strictly targets Israeli-linked vessels until humanitarian aid is allowed into Gaza, as per the ceasefire agreement between the Palestinian resistance and the Zionist entity. The Yemeni blockade came after a four-day deadline for mediators."

He affirmed that "international navigation in the Red Sea remains safe from Yemen’s side, and the US airstrikes are an attempt to remilitarize the Red Sea, which is the real threat to maritime security in the region."

The New York Times quoted military officials as saying that “the US prepares for possible further bombing waves over the coming days, depending on the Houthi response to the extent of continuing targeting US ships and planes in the Red Sea”.

On March 11, the Houthi militia announced that they will resume their maritime attacks against vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Strait of Bab Al ـMandab, and the Arabian Sea. This came after the deadline given to Israel to allow the resumption of aid deliveries to Gaza expired.

Houthi Health Ministry Spokesperson, Anees AlـAsbahi wrote on ‘X’ on Saturday that “the initial toll stands at 18, including nine deaths and nine injuries among civilians who fell as a result of a series of US aggression airstrikes targeting prominent figures in the capital, Sanaa, as of this Saturday, March 15, 2025."