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President Donald Trump has formally notified Congress that the US forces have directed the Department of Defense to move additional troops equipped for combat into the Middle East to launch a military strike against Yemen’s Hauti militants to stop attacks on American troops and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
In a letter released on Tuesday, March 28, Trump told House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Speaker Protempolechuck Grassley that he had instructed the Department of Defense to increase the presence of US forces in the region and launch major strikes in the Footie-controlled region.
“I no longer allow this pirate band to threaten and attack US troops and commercial ships with one of the most important shipping vehicles in the world,” Trump wrote. “We will act to keep Americans safe.”
He said the US will continue to strike until the group no longer poses a threat to navigation or US officials.
The strikes include naval ships, air force bombers, Houthi weapons, leadership and drones targeting command centers.
Trump administrators impose sanctions on Yemen Bank to support the Houssis
Houthi Army spokesman Yahya Sarea will attend a rally held in Sanaa, Yemen, mostly by Hooti supporters. (Reuters/Khaled Abdullah)
Trump said the action is in line with his authority as Congressional commander and a resolution of war powers that demands him to request information from Congress.
The letter is now in its fourth week as the Trump administration continues its daily military operations in Yemen. The airstrikes renewed the threat of Houthi on Israeli ships and began after attacks on US troops, including three Grim Reaper drones that were defeated after March 3rd.
After weakening the strike, Trump told Houthis: Stop filming us and “We’ll stop shooting at you.”
Houthi supporters will march on May 22, 2024 in Sanaa, Yemen to commemorate the anniversary of Yemen’s unification (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)
Last week, the administration approved the International Bank of Yemen (IBY) and accused Houthis of helping move money internationally and avoiding restrictions. The US Treasury has blocked assets tied to the bank and its leadership, including Chairman Kamal Hussein Al-Jebri and two top managers.
“Financial institutions like Iby are important to Houthis’ ability to fund attacks,” said Deputy Chief Michael Faulkender.
The Treasury and state departments say Houthis uses access to the bank’s Swift Global System to support terrorist operations such as purchasing oil and procuring weapons.
The Houthi Fighters will march at a rally outside Sanaa, Yemen on January 22, 2024.
In March, Trump posted about the true social that “many” Hooty leaders were killed in a recent strike, saying the group was “decimated” and that their lead supporter, Iran, warned that it could be next if the attack continued.
“The choice of Hoosis is clear,” Trump wrote. “Stop filming on US boats, and then we’ll stop filming.”
Houthis began increasing attacks in the Red Sea after Hamas terrorist attacks on Israel in October 2023. They have argued for their responsibility to target US warships, so far they have avoided hitting Chinese and Saudi Arabian ships, raising questions among defense officials about their strategic objectives.
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Congress plans to consider Trump’s report in the coming days as the US strike continues.
Greg Wehner, Brie Stimson and Caitlin McFall of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
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