▲ Trump
U.S. President Donald Trump warned on the 23rd (local time) that if Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels resume attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the United States will take strong military action against both the Houthis and Iran, which supports them.
Writing on his social media platform Truth Social that day, President Trump stated, "If they do this (attack commercial ships) again, the United States will hold Iran responsible, given that the Houthis are Iran's proxy forces."
He continued, "Significant military retaliation will be inflicted upon Iran, and the Houthis themselves will also be targeted," adding, "I am very disappointed, as I had thought up until now that they had been acting very professionally and cleverly."
The Houthis, who declared a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabian vessels in the Red Sea, announced that day that they had carried out a military operation targeting two Saudi Arabian oil tankers.
As Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia has been utilizing an alternative route, transporting crude oil westward via pipelines to export it through the Red Sea.
Recalling that "one year ago, the United States struck the Houthis very powerfully for disrupting commerce and trade by firing on ships," President Trump pointed out, "Since then, and during our conflict with Iran, they have been acting very responsibly. Unfortunately, they are starting up again, and last night they fired upon two Saudi ships."
In March of last year, the United States deployed an aircraft carrier to airstrike Houthi strongholds after the Houthis attacked vessels passing through the Red Sea, citing Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.
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