US strikes kill 31 in Yemen as Trump warns Iran

SANAA

At least 31 people were killed and another nine were injured in U.S.-U.K. airstrikes targeting Yemen's capital Sanaa, the Houthis said on Saturday, as President Donald Trump announced major air raids against the group.

“31 civilians were martyred and nine others injured, most in critical condition, in an initial toll of the U.S.-U.K. aggression airstrikes targeting civilian sites in the capital, Sanaa,” the Health Ministry told Houthi-affiliated SABA news agency.

Earlier, the Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television channel also reported that Sanaa was targeted. It said the strikes struck residential neighborhoods in Shu’aub district, north of the capital.

Trump on Truth Social said he ordered the military to launch "powerful" and "decisive" action against the Houthis.

“Your time is up, and your attacks must stop, starting today. If they don’t, hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before,” Trump said.

Witnesses told state-run Anadolu Agency that airstrikes also hit the Geraf neighborhood in northern Sanaa, resulting in powerful explosions.

In solidarity with Gaza, Houthis had attacked Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea with missiles and drones since late 2023, disrupting global trade.

The group halted its attacks when the Gaza ceasefire was declared in January. But it threatened to resume the attacks when Israel blocked all aid into Gaza after the end of the first phase of the ceasefire on March 2.

The U.N. on Sunday called for an end to all military activities after the strikes.

In a statement, spokesman for the secretary-general Stephane Dujarric also expressed concern about the continued threats by the Houthis to resume their attacks targeting vessels in the Red Sea.

"We call for utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities," said Dujarric.

"Any additional escalation could exacerbate regional tensions, fuel cycles of retaliation that may further destabilize Yemen and the region, and pose grave risks to the already dire humanitarian situation in the country," he added.

He reiterated that the U.N. emphasizes that international law, including international humanitarian law, must be respected at all times.

"The United Nations remains committed to continuing its efforts towards broader de-escalation in Yemen as well as continued engagement with the Yemeni, regional and international stakeholders in order to secure a sustainable and peaceful resolution to the conflict, and ultimately a better future for the Yemeni people," Dujarric said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, on the other hand, said a day after the U.S. launched airstrikes on Houthis that the U.S. will continue to hit Houthi group in Yemen until they end they end attacks on shipping.

"This isn't a one-night thing. This will continue until you say 'We're done shooting at ships. We're done shooting at assets,'" Hegseth told Fox News.

"We don't want a long, limited war in the Middle East. We don't care what happens in the Yemeni civil war."

"This is about stopping the shooting at assets in that critical waterway to reopen freedom of navigation, which is a core national interest of the United States," Hegseth said.

The Pentagon chief said Iran has been enabling the Houthis "for far too long."

"They better back off," he warned.