The White House has released an image of US President Donald Trump overseeing a deadly airstrike against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The strike, which Trump described as unleashing “hell” on the Iran-backed militant group, has resulted in at least 31 deaths.
Trump Monitors Strike from the White House
On Saturday, Trump announced that he had authorized the airstrike, marking a significant escalation in the conflict. The White House later shared an image of Trump dressed in golfing attire, wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat with his signature on the brim, along with a black headset. He was seen monitoring the strike on television.
President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats.
For too long American economic & national threats have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency. pic.twitter.com/FLC0E8Xkly
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 15, 2025
A statement accompanying the image read, “President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats. For too long, American economic and national security interests have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency.”
Also present during the operation were National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who were pictured alongside Trump as the situation unfolded.
Houthis Vow Retaliation as Death Toll Rises
Following the strike, the Houthi rebel group condemned the attack, calling it a “war crime.” The death toll, confirmed by Houthi-run health authorities on Al-Masirah TV, has reached 31. In response, the group warned of further escalation, stating, “Our Yemeni armed forces are fully prepared to respond to escalation with escalation.”
Iran also condemned the US airstrike, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating, “The United States government has no authority or business dictating Iranian foreign policy,” while urging Washington to stop its military operations in Yemen.
US Notifies Russia About the Strike
The US State Department revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had informed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the airstrike before it took place. Officials stated that this was part of ongoing efforts to maintain diplomatic communication between the two nations.
Trump further justified the strike in a statement on his Truth Social platform, condemning the Houthis for their recent attacks in the Red Sea. “They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American and other ships, aircraft, and drones,” he wrote.
This marks the first direct US military action against the Houthis since Trump returned to the White House. Similar strikes were carried out under former President Joe Biden’s administration.
