Houthis fire on Saudi vessels as U.S. strikes continue for 12th night
President Donald Trump said the United States would hold Iran responsible for any future attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis after the group attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, according to a social media post Thursday.
“The Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The post did not elaborate on the nature of the punishment, but it marked a sharp escalation in rhetoric as the Houthis opened a new front against Saudi shipping.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, a militia spokesman said, without detailing the weapons used. The Houthis, who control much of northern Yemen and are backed by Iran, have periodically targeted Red Sea shipping since the monthslong conflict began in early March, though the latest strike directly hit Saudi-flagged tankers.
The U.S. and Iran have been exchanging strikes for 12 consecutive nights, with the Houthi attack widening the conflict’s geographic reach and adding to pressure on key international waterways.