Trump says US will hold Iran responsible for further Houthi attacks
US President Donald Trump says Iran will be held responsible “for every shot fired” by Yemen’s Houthis, who have threatened to resume attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea in response to Israel’s ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip.
Yemen’s Houthis report new raids on the Red Sea port of Hodeidah as the death toll from the US’s attacks on Sunday rose to 53. The victims include five children and two women.More US strikes reported in Yemen
The Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah television has reported US strikes on an iron factory in the Bajil District of the western Hodeidah governorate.
The US launched a news campaign of heavy strikes on Houthi-controlled Yemen over the weekend.
The US military did not immediately confirm the latest strikes.Houthis says prepared to resume attacks in solidarity with Gaza
In statements carried by the Houthi-owned al-Masirah news agency, Major General Mohammed Al-Atifi has said the armed group is prepared to escalate its confrontation with Israel.
The Houthis had largely paused their attacks on vessels in the Red Sea in recent weeks amid a ceasefire in Gaza, but reportedly targeted US military vessels after the US struck positions in Yemen over the weekend.
Al-Atifi said the US strikes show the “level of bias” of the US in its support for Israel, according to al-Masirah.
He added the Houthis would not “remain silent”.
UN ‘concerned’ over US strikes on Yemen
The United Nations has released a statement responding to both the prospect of increased Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and on increased US strikes on Yemen.
“We reiterate our concern at the launching of multiple strikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen by the United States in recent days,” the spokesperson for UN Secretary General Guterres said.
The Houthis have said the US strikes killed 53 people and injured 101 more.
“The UN calls for utmost restraint and a cessation of all military activities,” the statement added.
“Any additional escalation could exacerbate regional tensions, fuel cycles of retaliation that may further destabilise Yemen and the region and pose grave risks to the already dire humanitarian situation in the country,” it said.Lebanon deploys more troops to Syrian border as clashes continue
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports border fighting is ongoing after Syrian shelling.
The Lebanese army announced it has undertaken “exceptional security measures and intensive communications” that led to the return of the bodies of three Syrian soldiers to Syrian authorities.
However, Lebanese border towns and villages have seen “shelling from the direction of Syrian territory”, the military said, noting army units responded with “appropriate weapons, reinforced their deployment and controlled the security situation”.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos said one child has been killed and six people wounded by Syrian shelling, adding that many civilians have fled the border area.
