President Donald Trump on Monday warned Iran that the United States will hold it responsible for any further attacks by the Yemen-based Houthis, accusing the Islamic Republic of "dictating every move" by the terrorist group.
"Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The warning comes as the Trump administration ramps up military action against the Houthis for repeatedly attacking American and Israeli vessels in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in October 2023. The United States over the weekend launched a series of airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, resulting in at least 53 casualties.
"Any further attack or retaliation by the 'Houthis' will be met with great force, and there is no guarantee that that force will stop there," Trump warned in his post, noting that Iran is "dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, 'Intelligence.'"
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that the United States will continue striking the Houthis until the terrorist group stops attacking ships, Reuters reported. The Houthis' terrorist attacks have disrupted global commerce, forcing ships to take longer, more expensive journeys around southern Africa.
The strikes are also part of Trump's "maximum pressure" campaign against Iran over the country's rapidly advancing nuclear program. In a letter earlier this month, Trump urged Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei to negotiate, threatening direct U.S. military action against Iran if Khamenei fails to comply.