Trump threatens Houthi rebels that they'll be 'completely annihilated'
as airstrikes pound Yemen
[March 20, 2025]
By JON GAMBRELL
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump
threatened Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday that they'll be
“completely annihilated” as American airstrikes pounded locations under
their control, while further pressuring the group's main benefactor
Iran.
Strikes hit Sanaa, Yemen's rebel-held capital, as well as their
stronghold of Saada in the country's northwest on Wednesday night, the
Houthi's al-Maisrah satellite news channel reported. It aired footage
showing firefighters battling a blaze in Sanaa and damaged at what it
described as a sheep farm in al-Jawf.
It also said strikes happened overnight Tuesday, though the U.S.
military has not offered a breakdown of places targeted since the
airstrikes campaign began. The first strikes this weekend killed at
least 53 people, including children, and wounded others.
As the strikes hit, Trump wrote on his Truth Social website that
“tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians.”
“Watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight,
and never will be,” Trump added. “They will be completely annihilated!”
Meanwhile, Trump again warned Iran not to arm the Houthis, claiming
without offering evidence that Tehran “has lessened its intensity on
Military Equipment and General Support to the Houthis.”
“Iran must stop the sending of these Supplies IMMEDIATELY,” he wrote.
Iran has long armed the Houthis, who are members of Islam’s minority
Shiite Zaydi sect that ruled Yemen for 1,000 years until 1962. Tehran
routinely denies arming the rebels, despite physical evidence, numerous
seizures and experts tying the weapons to Iran. That’s likely because
Tehran wants to avoid sanctions for violating a United Nations arms
embargo on the Houthis.
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Locals inspect the site reportedly struck by U.S. airstrikes
overnight in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo)
Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency acknowledged Trump’s comments and
cited remarks previously made by Iran’s ambassador to the United
Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, that said Trump made “baseless
accusations.”
The Houthi rebels attacked over 100 merchant vessels with missiles
and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, from
November 2023 until January this year when a ceasefire began in
Gaza. The campaign also greatly raised the Houthis’ profile in the
wider Arab world and tamped down on public criticism against their
human rights abuses and crackdowns on dissent and aid workers.
Meanwhile Thursday, the Houthi-controlled SABA news agency
acknowledged the rebels had been taking food aid out of a World Food
Program warehouse without permission. It said it took about 20% of
the aid on hand out.
The U.N. in February suspended its operations in Saada over security
concerns following the detentions of dozens of U.N. workers and
others. One WFP staffer died while imprisoned by the Houthis.
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