Trump Says Houthis Will be “Annihilated” in Warning to Iran

U.S. President Donald Trump said that the Houthis face inevitable and escalating destruction and warned Iran to stop supplying the Yemeni militant group.

While the Houthis have vowed more attacks, Iran has publicly denied involvement the Houthis’ operations in Yemen and said that any aggression against Iran will be met with a decisive response.

“Iran must stop the sending of these supplies IMMEDIATELY. Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way they lose, but this way they lose quickly,” Trump posted about the Houthis, to his Truth Social official account on Wednesday.

“They will be completely annihilated!” he said.

Newsweek has contacted Iran’s Foreign Ministry for comment.

Why It Matters

The Houthis, a U.S. designated terrorist organization backed by Iran, have launched hundreds of attacks on U.S. service members and vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, directly challenging American forces defending global navigation rights. Their disruption of this critical shipping route — which raises fuel, freight, and insurance costs, contributing to global inflation — adds to the urgency for U.S. action.

What To Know

President Trump launched military action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels this month, citing their missile attacks on U.S. aircraft and threats to international shipping lanes.

On Thursday, the Houthis said they shot down an American MQ-9 drone following U.S. airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sana’a, as well as the governorates of Al-Bayda, Al-Jawf and Sa’ada, reportedly resulting in civilian casualties, according to the Houthi-controlled Al-Massirah Channel.

U.S. fighter jets shot down explosive drones launched by Houthi forces, the U.S. military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said Wednesday. CENTCOM has said it will continue operations to secure international maritime navigation.

The Houthis claimed to have carried out attacks on the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea in response to the airstrikes. U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General Alex Grynkewich said previously that the claims were “hard to confirm.”

The United States threatened Iran, warning against support for Yemen’s government and other militant groups with Trump saying they will be held “fully accountable,” in the wake of recent military action in Yemen.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that any attack on the country will be met with a “devastating” response, with IRGC Commander Major General Hossein Salami stating that his country “does not dictate the policies of the Yemeni Houthi movement.”

Trump said on Wednesday that Iran has reduced support to the Houthis.

What People Are Saying

U.S. President Donald Trump on Truth Social: “Reports are coming in that while Iran has lessened its intensity on Military Equipment and General Support to the Houthis, they are still sending large levels of Supplies. Iran must stop the sending of these Supplies IMMEDIATELY. Let the Houthis fight it out themselves. Either way they lose, but this way they lose quickly. Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!”

Yemen’s Houthi Military Spokesperson Yahya Sarea: “The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm that the American enemy will fail to prevent Yemen from targeting the Israeli enemy in response to its massacres against our people in Gaza. They also affirm the intensification of airstrikes and the launching of more raids will not deter Yemen and the Yemenis from fulfilling their religious and moral duty towards the oppressed Palestinian people.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Esmail Baqaei, as quoted by MEHR News Agency: “The simultaneous U.S. attacks on Yemen — which began during the Democratic Party’s rule and Biden’s presidency — alongside the intensified genocide in Gaza leave no doubt about the joint American-Zionist conspiracy to weaken the Islamic nation and eliminate any call for solidarity and support for the oppressed Palestinian people.”

Danny Citrinowicz, Non-Resident Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programs: “In order for the campaign to be effective, it must be continuous and ongoing while damaging the Houthis’ command and control sites and their ability to produce and launch missiles and drones. The campaign also must block Iran’s ability to support the Houthis’ power-building (via the Arabian Sea and Oman) while relying on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which are well acquainted with the Yemeni arena. Given the existing high tensions, these attacks—especially if the United States suspects that Iran is continuing to assist the Houthis—also bring Tehran and Washington closer to confrontation.”

What Happens Next

The U.S.-Houthi conflict introduces a new layer of instability in the Middle East, increasing the risk of broader involvement from other stakeholders and pushing the U.S. and Iran toward a potential clash.