As the White House shared the photos of President Donald Trump watching on a computer the strike against Houthi rebels, critics questioned where the election promise of starting no new war vanished. Commentators observed how Trump was still in his golf attire as he ordered to unleash ‘hell’ on Houthi rebels in Yemen. “President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats,” the caption on the White House post read.
“For too long American economic and national threats have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency,” the statement added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov to inform him of the impending strike as Trump ordered Saturday afternoon bombing of the dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the Iran-backed terror groups attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
“They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post announcing the strikes to the world. “YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY,” Trump warned the group in the post, adding the United States will use “overwhelming force” in pursuit of its peaceful objectives.
“Hey MAGA folks, how is Donald Trump’s military action against Yemen different from Joe Biden’s military action against Yemen, which you opposed?” one wrote criticizing Trump’s action referring to the Republicans’ anti-war stance.
At least 13 civilians were killed, and nine injured, in strikes on Yemen’s capital city of Sanaa. At least 11 others, including four children and one woman, were killed, and 14 injured, in a strike on the northern province of Saada. The Houthis’ political bureau described the attacks as a war crime and said in a statement, “Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation.”
