SANAA: Yemen’s Ansarullah Houthis on Sunday pledged to meet “escalation with escalation” after a wave of deadly US air strikes killed 31 people, most of them women and children, and injured 101 people.

US President Donald Trump said he had ordered the strikes and threatened more were to come if the Houthis kept up their repeated attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

After halting their attacks when a ceasefire took effect in Gaza in January, the Houthis announced on Tuesday that they would resume them until Israel lifted its blockade of aid to the devastated Palestinian territory.

The US attacks on the rebel-held capital Sanaa, as well as on areas in Saada, Al-Bayda and Radaa, killed at least 31 people, most of them women and children and wounded 101,” Houthi health ministry spokesperson Anis Al-Asbahi said.

Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah condemn strikes against Yemen, term them a violation of international law

People in Sanaa heard explosions and saw plumes of smoke rising on Saturday night.

Footage on Houthi media showed children and women among those being treated in a hospital emergency room, including a dazed girl with blackened legs wrapped in bandages.

One father of two, who gave his name as Ahmed, said his “house shook, the windows shattered, and my family and I were terrified”.

“I’ve been living in Sanaa for 10 years, hearing shelling throughout the war. By God, I’ve never experienced anything like this before,” he said.

Trump, in a post on social media, vowed to “use overwhelming lethal force” to end the Houthis’ attacks, which they say are in solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war.

Trump warns Houthis of more attacks if they don’t stop attacks on US and its allies’ ships in the Red Sea. Trump also warned Iran to stop its support to Yemen’s Houthis or it will be held fully accountable for any continued threats from Houthis.

The Houthis vowed the strikes “will not pass without response”, while Iran’s top diplomat Abbas Araghchi condemned the deaths and said Washington had no authority to dictate Tehran’s foreign policy.

The Houthi Ansarullah website slam­med Washington’s criminal brutality.

US Central Command, which posted videos of fighter jets taking off and a bomb demolishing a compound, said “precision strikes” were launched to “defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation”.

Houthis pledge firm response

The Houthis’ political bureau said its “forces are fully prepared to confront escalation with escalation”.

Yemen’s Ansarullah Houthis, who have controlled much of Yemen for more than a decade, are part of the axis of resistance of pro-Iran groups which are staunchly opposed to Israel and the United States’ policies in the Middle East.

The Houthis have launched hundreds of drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Hamas condemns US strikes

The Palestinian group Hamas, which has praised the Houthis’ support in its fight against Israel in Gaza, lashed out at the US strikes, branding them “a stark violation of international law and an assault on the country’s sovereignty and stability”.

Iran strongly condemned the brutal air strikes in a statement, denouncing them as a “gross violation of the principles of the UN Charter”.

Hezbollah condemns Yemen attack

Lebanon’s Hezbollah strongly denounced the US and UK airstrikes on Yemen, calling them a war crime and a failed attempt to weaken Yemeni support for Palestine.

Issuing a statement on Sunday, Hezbollah strongly denounced the “brutal aggression” against Yemen, which led to civilian casualties.

“This attack is a desperate attempt to stop the Yemeni people from continuing their unwavering support for Palestine,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2025