US airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, killed 12 people and wounded 30 others, the Houthi rebels said on Monday. The attacks reportedly hit a market in the Furwah neighborhood of the Shuub district, an area previously targeted by American forces. Other regions across the country were also struck overnight.
These strikes come just days after a US attack on the Ras Isa fuel port killed at least 74 people and injured 171. The recent wave of airstrikes follows renewed talks in Rome between the US and Iran over Tehran’s advancing nuclear program, something Washington has linked to Houthi actions in the region.
The US is targeting the Houthis due to their repeated attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, a critical global trade route, and their threats against Israel. The group, aligned with Iran and calling itself part of the “Axis of Resistance,” is the only one among Iran backed groups still capable of striking Israel.
The new campaign, launched under President Donald Trump, appears more aggressive than actions taken under President Joe Biden. It began after the Houthis warned they would resume targeting ships linked to Israel in response to the blockade of aid to Gaza.
Between November 2023 and January 2024, the Houthis attacked over 100 commercial vessels using drones and missiles, sinking two ships and killing four sailors. Their campaign has severely disrupted Red Sea shipping, which normally sees about $1 trillion in goods pass through annually with 12 percent of global shipping traffic normally passes
The US military has released little information about the strikes, and the Houthis tightly control access to affected areas, making it difficult to verify the full impact. Many of the strikes are believed to have hit military and security targets.
According to Houthi media, recent US airstrikes also hit Kamaran Island, Marib governorate, and the Attan area of Sanaa, under rebel control since 2014. A sanitation facility in Asir and a busy market in Shoub were among the locations struck.
Since March, over 200 people have reportedly been killed in US airstrikes. The US claims the offensive aims to halt Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes.
The Houthis temporarily paused their attacks during a two-month ceasefire in Gaza but resumed them after Israel restarted its military operations. Known formally as Ansar Allah, the Houthis emerged in the 1990s and gained power in 2014 when they took control of Sanaa and forced President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to flee the country.