Houthi rebels in Yemen and US both vow 'escalation' following Trump's missile attack

Both the United States and Houthi rebels in Yemen have warned that the situation will escalate after President Donald Trump launched 'decisive and powerful' air strikes on Iranian-backed group.

The POTUS announced news of the action on Truth Social on March 15, stating he had made the order to the US military after rebels attacking Red Sea shipping had waged an 'unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones'.

The Houthi group controls Sanaa and the north-west of Yemen, though it is not recognized internationally as the country's government. The rebels began targeting vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in 2023 as they sought to show support for Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas, which is ongoing in Gaza.

Houthi rebels have been targeting vessels in support of Palestinians ( Al-Joumhouriah channel via Getty Images)

Trump described his predecessor Joe Biden's response to the group as 'weak', adding: "The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective."

The airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 53 people and left almost 100 others injured, according to latest figures from the Houthi-run health ministry.

In response to the attacks, the rebel group not only said it would continue to target Red Sea shipping until Israel lifted its blockade of Gaza, but that it had responded to the US air strikes by attacking an American aircraft carrier group.

The Houthis claimed they had launched 18 missiles and a drone at the 'aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and its accompanying warships', which were located in the Red Sea. Later, the group claimed it had fired a second round.

Trump said ongoing attacks would cause 'hell to rain down' (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

The rebels made clear they would continue to attack US ships as long as the US continues to target Yemen, saying: "This aggression will not go without response and our Yemeni armed forces are ready to answer escalation with further escalation."

The warning from the Houthis comes despite the fact Trump said in his initial Truth Social post that continued attacks would only lead to even further action.

In a message aimed directly to Houthi rebels, the president wrote in all caps: "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!"

Since the Houthis began seeking targets in the Red Sea , they have sunk at least two vessels, seized one, and killed four crew members, BBC News reports.