Trump touts airstrike on Houthis, showing video: Will ‘never sink our ships again’
Trump on Friday shared video of a recent airstrike on Houthi rebels, writing, “They will never sink our ships again.”
“These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis! They will never sink our ships again!”
The black and white aerial footage appeared to show a group assembling before a massive blast leaves nothing but a crater.
The Trump administration has been conducting daily airstrikes on the Iranian-backed rebels for the last 20 days following renewed Houthi threats against Israeli vessels last month after Jerusalem cut off humanitarian aid headed for the Gaza Strip.
Late last month, the group took responsibility for attacks on the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier and several U.S. warships in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have also shot down three U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones since March 3, sources previously told Fox News.
The State Department put forward sanctions after the Houthis shot down the first Reaper in early March, and on Tuesday, the State Department announced sanctions on “financial facilitators, procurement operatives, and companies operating as part of a global illicit finance network supporting the Houthis.”
National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told CBS’ “Face the Nation” late last month: “These guys are like al Qaeda or ISIS with advanced cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and some of the most sophisticated air defenses, all provided by Iran. Keeping the sea lanes open, keeping trade and commerce open, is a fundamental aspect of our national security.”
On Monday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Houthis have been “decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks.”
“Many of their Fighters and Leaders are no longer with us,” he continued. “We hit them every day and night — Harder and harder. Their capabilities that threaten Shipping and the Region are rapidly being destroyed. Our attacks will continue until they are no longer a threat to Freedom of Navigation. The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you. Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran.”
The terrorist network, backed by Iran, began escalating its attacks on Western ships in the Red Sea following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Notably, security experts have pointed out the Houthi attacks are not indiscriminate as they do not routinely target Chinese or Saudi Arabian vessels.
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Trump also issued a message to Iran on Monday and warned if the attacks do not stop, Washington will come for Tehran next.
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, Liz Friden, Caitlin McFall and Landon Mion contributed to this report.