President of the United States, Donald Trump, has made a statement asserting that he will hold Iran accountable for any future assaults carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are backed by Tehran and have been targeting US and foreign vessels in the Red Sea.
“From this point on, every shot fired by the Houthis will be regarded as a shot from the weapons and leadership of IRAN. IRAN will be held responsible and will face severe consequences!” Trump stated on his Truth Social platform on Monday.
These remarks from Trump further intensify his administration’s new initiative aimed at countering the rebels. Recent airstrikes have resulted in at least 53 casualties over the weekend, and indications suggest that these operations may continue. At the same time, Iran is deliberating its response to a letter Trump sent last week, attempting to rejuvenate negotiations regarding Tehran’s advancing nuclear program.
Calling the Houthis “sinister mobsters and thugs,” Trump warned that any attacks by the group would be met with “great force, and there are no guarantees that this force will stop at that.”
Trump accused Iran of playing the role of “the innocent victim” regarding the rogue terrorists they claim to have lost control over, asserting that in reality, they haven’t lost control at all. “They are orchestrating every action, providing them with weapons, funding, advanced military equipment, and even so-called ‘intelligence,’” he claimed in his post.
The reason behind Trump’s comments remains unclear. However, this weekend, the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guards attempted to distance the Houthis’ actions from Tehran. The Houthis have also launched drones and missiles aimed at the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, although none have successfully reached the ship, which continues its flight operations in the area.
Iran has not responded promptly to Trump’s post.
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AP and AFP contributed to this report
