(NewsNation) — Tensions are high in the Middle East as the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have vowed to escalate attacks after airstrikes by the United States over the weekend, which killed more than 50 people.
President Donald Trump warned Iran would pay for the Houthis targeting shipping routes in the Red Sea.
The White House said the strikes could be the first of many, and Trump said Iran must end its support of the terrorist group.
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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth went a step further, saying the strikes were a direct response to ongoing threats in the Red Sea.
U.S. fighter jets hit many Houthi military targets across Yemen on Saturday, and the Houthi Health Ministry reported at least 53 people have died and nearly 100 others injured.
National security adviser Michael Waltz said the strikes took out Houthi leadership.
The White House has said the rebel group launched hundreds of missiles and drone attacks on shipping in the Red Sea in response to the war in Gaza.
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The Red Sea serves as one of the most vital shipping corridors, and the attacks and threats have forced a 60% drop in the number of ships passing through the crucial trade route.
Trump posted to social media, directing a message to Iran: “BEWARE!” he wrote. “America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it!”
Iran has denied any sort of involvement in the attacks by Houthi rebels, but the Houthi vowed to meet th escalation with more attacks.
Trump is currently trying to push a new nuclear agreement with Iran. He recently sent a letter to Iran’s supreme leader in an effort to spur negotiations.
