At least 21 people died in Yemen after a series of US strikes against Iran-backed Houthi fighters, he biggest military action ordered by President Donald Trump since returning to office. Houthi-held areas, including the capital Sanaa and Saada province, were also targeted in the strikes that started on Saturday (March 15), local reports said.
President Trump said that he is prepared to continue to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis halt their attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea. “No terrorist force will be able to prevent American commercial and naval vessels from traveling freely over the Waterways of the World,” he said in a social media post.
The Houthis said their Health Ministry collated nine civilian deaths and several wounded in Sanaa. In Saada, at least ten killed with the Houthi media terming the strikes as “U.S-British aggression.” 
The U.S. administration has rezoned the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization” and placed a complete ban on American dealings with the group. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that Houthi attacks on US ships “won’t be accepted.”
The air strikes follow up on a warning issued by Trump to Tehran to stop backing the Houthis, and come after the former president vowed to hold Iran “fully accountable.” Even though the U.S. launched an offensive against Iran, the Houthi rebels threatened counter-attack and fear over large regional conflict grew.
This latest attack is a major increase in the U. S. military’s participation in Yemen as Mideast tensions build.
