EXCLUSIVE: Yemen’s Ansarallah to respond to US strikes within hours

Shafaq News/ On Saturday, a military commander from Yemen’s Ansarallah (Houthis) stated that the response to the US strikes targeting multiple sites belonging to the armed group in the country will come “within hours.”

Brig. Gen. Abed Bin Mohammed Al-Thawr, deputy director of the Moral Guidance Department of the Yemeni Armed Forces affiliated with the Houthis, told Shafaq News Agency, "The US is trying to deter Yemen from its stance on Gaza, providing cover for Israel," referring to the group's support for the Strip through missile and drone attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and targets inside Israel since November 2023.

The group, Al-Thawr noted, had observed a US aircraft carrier for more than ten days, considering it “a clear indication of military action in support of Israel,” which since October 7, 2023, has killed more than 61,000 people in Gaza, most of them women and children.

"This action led to four strikes on Sanaa [the Yemeni capital] today," he added. "The Yemeni Armed Forces are prepared and will respond within the coming hours… We will retaliate against the US accordingly, and any Arab country supporting Washington will also be a target."

Trump Orders Military Operation Against Houthis

The US launched large-scale airstrikes on Saturday evening against dozens of targets in the Houthi-controlled areas of the capital, Sanaa. According to the Yemeni Ministry of Health, the strikes initially left at least nine dead and nine wounded.

The New York Times reported that the air and naval strikes hit radar systems, air defenses, missile systems, and drones to reopen international shipping lanes in the Red Sea.

US officials told the newspaper that the strikes targeted the Houthis’ arsenal, much of which is buried deep underground. They added that the air campaign could last several days, with its intensity and scope increasing depending on the militants' response.

Later, US President Donald Trump announced, in a statement, that he had ordered the military to carry out a “decisive and powerful” operation against the Houthis. “They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other ships, aircraft, and drones.”

The Republican president criticized his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, calling him "weak" for allowing the Houthis to continue their attacks, as more than a year had passed since an American commercial vessel safely navigated the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden.

“The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated… We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” Trump added. “The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of global commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of freedom of navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.”

Responding to Ansarallah’s attacks, the US president said Washington was now targeting bases, leaders, and missile defenses of what he described as "terrorists" to protect American ships, aircraft, and naval assets.

Trump also delivered a direct message to the Houthis, “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,” warning Iran against continuing to support the group.

“Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY!”