Yemen’s Houthis vow to continue attacks after more than 70 killed in US airstrikes on port

Yemen’s Houthi movement has vowed to escalate its attacks on U.S. and allied targets after more than 70 of its fighters were reportedly killed in a series of American airstrikes on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah late Thursday night. One of the deadliest U.S. operations against the Iranian-backed group in recent months, the airstrikes were described by U.S. officials as a "targeted response" to Houthi aggression in the region. According to Houthi military sources and local media reports, the airstrikes targeted several warehouses, military facilities, and coastal defense installations believed to be linked to the group’s missile and drone programs. The strikes came after a series of Houthi attacks on commercial shipping vessels and U.S. naval assets in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden—strategic waterways through which a significant portion of global trade flows.

In a televised speech broadcast Friday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the death toll and said the movement “will not back down” from its operations. “The American aggression has claimed the lives of more than 70 of our brave fighters, but our resolve remains unshaken,” Saree declared. “Our attacks on enemy ships, military installations, and occupying forces will continue and intensify in response to this criminal act.”

The U.S. A "series of precision strikes" coordinated with intelligence gathered over the past few weeks was confirmed by the Department of Defense. “These strikes were aimed at degrading the Houthis’ ability to launch drone and missile attacks against U.S. and international interests,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh. “This was a defensive measure taken in response to repeated provocations and unprovoked assaults on maritime security.”

The recent escalation has raised alarm across the region and among international shipping companies, many of which have rerouted vessels to avoid the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key chokepoint that connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea. Insurance premiums for ships operating in the area have also surged, further complicating global supply chains already under pressure from other geopolitical crises.

Concern has been expressed by human rights organizations regarding the rising cost to civilians in Yemen, where a decade-long conflict has already resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Hodeidah, the city targeted in the latest airstrikes, is one of the most densely populated areas under Houthi control and a lifeline for humanitarian aid entering the country.

“We fear that this cycle of retaliation and military escalation will further endanger civilians and make it harder for humanitarian agencies to deliver essential aid,” said Rita El-Mounayer, a regional director for Doctors Without Borders. "A broader geopolitical conflict has once again caught the Yemeni people in its crossfire." Since 2015, the Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, has ruled most of northern Yemen, including Sana'a, the capital. It has received backing from Iran, although the extent of Tehran’s direct control over the group remains disputed. In recent years, the Houthis have increasingly targeted foreign ships and military bases using drones and ballistic missiles, actions they describe as resistance to U.S. and Saudi “aggression” and the blockade of Yemeni territory.

The Biden administration, which previously removed the Houthis from the U.S. list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations in a move intended to facilitate peace talks, has since reconsidered its stance amid rising attacks. In January 2024, the group was redesignated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity following a deadly drone strike that killed several international sailors.

Diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the situation appear to have stalled. The Houthis and the internationally recognized Yemeni government both accused each other of acting in bad faith during talks held in Oman last month at the United Nations. Meanwhile, Iran has denied any involvement in the recent attacks but has warned the U.S. against further military action in Yemen, calling it “an act of aggression against a sovereign nation.”

As tensions continue to rise, the prospects for peace in Yemen appear increasingly bleak. For ordinary Yemenis, the latest round of violence only deepens their suffering. “We are tired of war, tired of bombs,” said Amal al-Hakimi, a schoolteacher in Hodeidah. "It gets worse every time we think it might get better." ⸻

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