In a sharp escalation of tensions, US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Iran, stating that it will be held “fully responsible” for attacks carried out by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The warning, posted on his Truth Social platform on Monday, targets Iran’s alleged role in arming and supporting the Houthis, a group considered part of an “axis of resistance” backed by Tehran.
“Let nobody be fooled! The hundreds of attacks being made by Houthi, the sinister mobsters and thugs based in Yemen, who are hated by the Yemeni people, all emanate from, and are created by IRAN,” Trump wrote.
He made it clear that any further attacks or retaliations from the Houthis would be met with a forceful response, stating, “there is no guarantee that that force will stop there.”
The Houthis have been behind a series of attacks on Israeli vessels and other commercial ships in the Red Sea, protesting Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza and its blockade of humanitarian supplies to Palestine.
Western military experts have long believed that Iran supplies weapons and support to the Houthis, a group that has emerged as a key player in the broader Middle Eastern geopolitical landscape.
Trump’s comments suggest the possibility of direct military action against Iran. “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,” he stated.
“IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”
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This warning adds to Trump’s ongoing pressure campaign against Iran, particularly regarding its nuclear program.
Despite withdrawing the US from the 2015 nuclear deal (the JCPOA) during his first term, Trump has continued to push for Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.
Earlier this month, he sent a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warning that the US could take military action if a new nuclear agreement isn’t reached.
Khamenei dismissed Trump’s approach, referring to it as “bullying.”
As part of the escalating tensions, the US carried out around 47 aerial strikes over the weekend, hitting seven provinces in Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, controlled by the Houthis.
In his latest post, Trump emphasized that Iran’s support for the Houthis must cease immediately.
“Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes,” Trump warned.
“If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”
