US attacks Houthi positions in bid to protect shipping

The US has launched attacks targeting Houthi rebels in a bid to protect shipping and restore navigational freedom, President Donald Trump said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social on March 15.

"The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective," Trump said.

Houthi attacks have severely disrupted shipping in the region since 2023, after Hamas attacked Israel.

"The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.," Trump said in the post.

The US attacks have caused widespread damage, including to the Dhahyan power station, causing power cuts, Houthi-backed al-Masirah TV reported on March 15.

Yemen's Ministry of Electricity, Energy and Water did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the damage.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam said that "the US raids mark a return to the militarization of the Red Sea, which is an actual threat to navigation in the region," al-Masirah reported.

Oil transits through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea fell to 2.5 million b/d in 2024 from 6.9 million b/d in 2023. Deliveries via the Suez Canal dropped to 3.9 million b/d from 7.9 million b/d, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea(opens in a new tab).

Most LNG ship transits via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal have also been disrupted for over a year due to increased attacks on merchant ships.

The US military campaign follows renewed Houthi threats against shipping linked to Israel in response to Israel blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Yemeni Armed Forces said on March 11 that all Israeli ships are "banned" from passing through the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In January, the group announced a suspension of attacks after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was agreed.

Trump also warned Iran on March 15 that the US would hold it accountable if it continues to support the Houthi rebels.