US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after stepping off Air Force One upon returning to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on July 19, 2026. Trump is returning to the White House from New Jersey, where he attended the 2026 World Cup Final. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)
US President Donald Trump said Thursday he would hold Iran responsible for attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and threatened both with “major military punishment.”
Trump’s warning came after the Tehran-backed Houthis launched missile and drone strikes on oil tankers in the Red Sea to enforce what they said was a blockade on Saudi Arabia.
“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” should the rebels launch further attacks, Trump said on his Truth Social network.
Trump said he was “very disappointed” by the Houthis as they had “until now, acted very professionally and smart” following US attacks on the group last year, and during the Iran war that the United States and Israel launched in February.
