The US airstrikes over the weekend took away Houthi drones, missiles and air defense systems, but it remains to be seen whether they dealt a fatal blow with the resolve of their main target, the Iranian regime.
Co-staff director for General Alexus Grinkewitch told reporters that “dozens of military casualties” had been counted so far, and that “there are no reliable signs of civilian casualties.”
He added that the first wave of strikes “scatters over 30 targets in multiple locations, decreasing the various Houthi abilities.”
“These included terrorist training sites, unmanned aircraft infrastructure, weapons manufacturing capabilities and weapons storage facilities.”
As Trump’s strikes against terrorist groups continue, US military shoots down Footy drones
The Houthi Rebel Fighters march at a rally to support the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. (AP photo)
Yemeni Hooti rebels alleged 53 people have been killed, including five children. The attack began on Saturday and continued until Monday.
Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said the strike message “will have consequences if you shoot US troops.”
At the same time, he emphasized, “This is not an endless attack either. It’s not about a change of government in the Middle East, it places American interests first.”
However, President Donald Trump has made it clear that while the Houtis is the target of the attack, Iran is responsible for the retaliation.
“A further attack or retaliation by “Houthis” will be filled with great force and there is no guarantee that the force will cease from there. Iran played the “innocent victims” of illicit terrorists who have lost control, but they have not lost control,” he wrote about the true society.
“They dictate every move, give weapons, provide money and extremely sophisticated military equipment, and even supply what is called “intellect.” All shots fired by the Houthis from this point on are considered shots fired from Iran’s weapons and leadership, Iran takes responsibility, suffers from consequences, and those consequences are miserable! ”
Iranian generals respond to Trump’s threat to the Hooti rebels
Last week, Houthis announced they would once again intensify attacks in the Red Sea, claiming that they were doing so to pressure Israel to return to Gaza.
The group halted the strike in January when the Gaza ceasefire was first announced.
Last week, Trump wrote a letter to the Supreme Leader calling for involvement in nuclear talks, attempting a diplomatic route with Iran. However, Iran has been furious at Trump’s intention to return to the “major pressure” sanctions campaign and has said it will not engage with the US
Trump said the strike will continue “with overwhelming and deadly force” until the Hoosis is eliminated as a threat.
However, it was vague how the elimination would look, especially when Houthi’s attack persisted.
US Navy ships repel attacks from the Houssis in the Gulf of Aden
“President Trump is taking action against Hoosis to defend US shipment assets and stop the threat of terrorists,” posted on X on March 15, 2025.
Parnell refused to say whether the US troops could deploy to Yemen. “It’s very difficult for us to talk about strength, this attitude from the podium, if not impossible,” he said. “It’s very important to keep guessing your enemy.”
Zineb Riboua, research fellow and program manager at the Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East, explained that the US strike is intended to launch sites that are used to destroy missiles, target transport in the Red Sea, and disrupt the supply chain that supplies Iranian weapons to the Houssis.
Chief Shawn Pernel, a spokesman for the Pentagon at a press conference held at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia on March 17, 2025. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“However, the effectiveness of these operations depends on two important factors. Did they cripple Houthi’s capabilities? The group has proven resilience, especially when Iran continues to concentrate its weapons and intelligence support,” Riboua said.
Houthis responded with a failed strike at aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed Sunday that for the past 18 months, the Houthi Fighters have “directly” attacked the US Navy 174 times “directly” using “guided, accurate anti-ship weapons” and targeted 145 times commercial transport.
In recent years, the Houchis have attacked unarmed western ships carrying goods through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. And the US military responded with strikes that seemed to be limited in scope rather than a full-scale declaration of war.
The attack led to dangerous waters along trade routes that see the shipment of aid to the war-torn Sudan and Yemeni people, usually when they see around a trillion dollars of goods passing through.
“We’re already the third day of our military campaign and we’re relentless. This is very different from the smaller, limited strikes during the Biden administration,” said Hudson’s fellow Rebecca Heinrich.
“The era of Pimprick’s reactions that allow us to happen is over, and I think it’s also a pretty clear statement from the administration as a whole,” State Department spokesman Tammy Bruce told reporters Monday.
Smoke rises from the explosion after the projectile crashed into a group of buildings on March 15, 2025 at an undisclosed location (US Central Command/handout via Reuters)
Iran tried to distance himself from its proxy forces. Pamilitary Revolutionary Guard Gen. Hossein Salami said it “does not play a role in setting national or operational policies” for the group it is allied with.
However, some suppression-oriented voices do not believe that the US should spend its resources to combat the Houches that have not publicly attacked since November.
“I think the people affected are more European and Chinese than Americans,” said Ben Friedman, policy director for defense priorities. “So it’s not clear to me why the US should do this. If Europeans want to deal with it, it’s fine, but I don’t think it all has to be our responsibility, especially when they’re not doing much damage. [to us]. ”
“He’s doing what was supposed to have been done under the Biden administration,” said Gene Moran, former Navy captain and former adviser to the chairman of the joint chief. But at the same time, “We should not be fooled by the idea that we can defeat ideology with a weapon of movement. We have made that mistake over time. We need to do something in Iran.
“Trump has proven in relations with Russia. He can turn the tables over the weekend and change the entire conversation. So I think Trump will do something very decisive with Iran. He may not need to do that with athleticism.”
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Iran’s uranium enrichment violates 60%, bringing dangerously close to the 90% enrichment required to make bombs.
Tehran has denied it is still pursuing nuclear weapons, but experts said there is no civilian use for 60% of the uranium enriched.
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