WASHINGTON — President Trump vowed Thursday to hold Iran accountable for any attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The president’s warning comes in response to the Houthis striking two Saudi Arabian vessels Wednesday evening, raising fears that the group could attempt to shut down the Bab El Mandeb Strait, a key oil chokepoint.
“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, and major military punishment will be inflicted upon Iran and, of course, the Houthis, themselves, who I am very disappointed with,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump added that the Houthis “have, until now, acted very professionally and smart” during Operation Epic Fury, which began Feb. 28.
