President Donald Trump has said the United States will hold Iran responsible for any future attacks by Yemen's Houthi group on ships in the Red Sea. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump warned that Washington would inflict "major military punishment" on Iran and the Houthis if such attacks occur again.
Trump noted that the Houthis had recently fired on two Saudi Arabian ships. He said the group had acted "very responsibly" during the US conflict with Iran but had now resumed attacks. The Houthis are widely seen as a proxy of Iran, which has provided them with military support during Yemen's civil war.
"Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are a Surrogate and/or Proxy of Iran," Trump wrote. He added that the Houthis had previously acted "very professionally and smart" and expressed disappointment over the recent attacks.
The US has previously conducted military operations against the Houthis to protect commercial shipping in the region. The Red Sea is a key waterway for global trade, and attacks by the Houthis have disrupted shipping since late 2023. The group says its actions are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
There was no immediate response from Iran or the Houthis to Trump's warning.