SANAA: Yemen’s Houthis said on Tuesday they carried out their third attack on American warships in 48 hours, following US strikes on the Iran-backed rebels that sparked mass protests in areas under their control. The rebels also condemned the Zionist entity’s wave of strikes on Gaza, which the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed more than 400 people, vowing to escalate their own operations in support of ally Hamas.

The Houthis 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 over the Zionist entity’s aid blockade on the Palestinian territory, triggering the first US strikes on Yemen since President Donald Trump took office in January.

In their latest retaliation, the Houthis said on Telegram on Tuesday that they fired missiles and drones at the USS Harry S Truman, calling it the “third in the past 48 hours” on the fleet in the northern Red Sea. A US defense official said the Houthis “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”. US Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich earlier told reporters it was “hard to confirm” the attacks claimed by the Houthis as the rebels were missing their targets “by over 100 miles” (160 kilometers).

No Houthis ‘without Iran’

Houthi media said fresh US strikes hit the Hodeida and Al-Salif regions Monday and Sanaa early Tuesday — hours after tens of thousands demonstrated, chanting “Death to America, death to (the Zionist entity)!” in the capital. There were also large crowds in Saada, the birthplace of the Houthi movement, and demonstrations in Dhamar, Hodeida and Amran on Monday. The protests came after Washington launched its fresh campaign of air strikes on Yemen beginning Saturday, killing 53 people and wounding 98 according to the Houthi-run health ministry.

Washington has vowed to keep hitting Yemen until the Houthis stop firing on shipping, with Trump warning he will hold Iran accountable for their attacks. “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,” Trump posted on social media. Tehran called his statement “belligerent”.

In a televised interview with Fox News, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Houthis do “not exist” without Iran. “Without Iran, there is no Houthi threat of this magnitude,” he said. “They created this Frankenstein monster, and now they got to own it.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the US strikes and said Washington had “no authority” to dictate Tehran’s foreign policy.

‘Hell will rain down’

On Saturday, the Houthi-controlled capital was hit by heavy strikes, including in northern districts frequented by the rebels’ leadership. US National Security Advisor Michael Waltz told ABC News that Saturday’s strikes “targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out”. The Houthis have not responded to Waltz’s claim. The Pentagon said on Monday it had struck 30 targets in its ongoing campaign in Yemen.

The United Nations urged both sides to “cease all military activity”, while expressing concern over Houthi threats to resume their Red Sea attacks. Before this weekend’s targeting of the US carrier group, the Houthis had not claimed any attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since January 19, when the ceasefire in Gaza began. Trump has warned the Yemeni group that “hell will rain down upon you” if it does not stop its attacks.

Costly detour

While the Red Sea trade route normally carries around 12 percent of world shipping traffic, Houthi attacks have forced many companies into costly detours around southern Africa. A database set up by ACLED, a non-profit monitor, showed more than 130 Houthi attacks against warships, commercial vessels and other targets since October 19, 2023. The United States had already launched several rounds of strikes on Houthi targets under president Joe Biden.

The Zionist entity has also struck Yemen, most recently in December, after Houthi missile fire towards Zionist entity 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 Houthis began their attacks. — AFP