US strikes Houthi rebels: Does Trump want to escalate against Iran? | DW News Desk

Yemen's Huthis say they have attacked several American warships in the last couple of days, despite US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels. The rebels condemned Israel's wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed at least 330 people, vowing to escalate their own operations in support of ally Hamas.

The Huthis had targeted ships in the Red Sea after the start of the Gaza war 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 battered Palestinian territory, triggering US backlash and tit-for-tat retaliation. A US defense official said the Huthis “continue to communicate lies and disinformation,” adding the Iran-backed group is “well known for false claims minimizing the results of our attacks while exaggerating the successes of theirs.”

Huthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and the capital Sanaa early Tuesday—after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting “Death to America, death to Israel!” in Sanaa. “Every shot fired by the Huthis 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,” Trump posted on social media. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had “no authority” to dictate Tehran's foreign policy.

Israel has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Huthi missile fire towards Israeli territory. The rebels control large swathes of Yemen after ousting the internationally recognized government from Sanaa. They have been at war with a Saudi-led coalition backing the government since 2015, a conflict that has triggered a major humanitarian crisis. Fighting has largely been on hold since a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, but the peace process has stalled since the Huthis began their attacks.

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