Trump Threatens Iran With ‘Major Military Punishment’ Over Houthi Attacks/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ President Donald Trump threatened Iran with severe military consequences if Yemen’s Houthi rebels carry out further attacks on commercial shipping. The warning followed Houthi claims of responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. The escalation threatens another major energy route as the United States and Iran continue fighting over the Strait of Hormuz.
Quick Look
- Trump said Iran will be held responsible for future Houthi attacks.
- He threatened “major military punishment” against Iran and the Houthis.
- The Houthis claimed attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
- The group declared a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia.
- Disruption at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could further restrict global energy supplies.
- U.S. forces completed a 12th consecutive day of strikes against Iran Wednesday.
- Trump has separately threatened Iranian infrastructure over attacks in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged the Houthis to stop their operations.
- Iran has provided significant financial and military support to the Houthis.
- Only slightly more than one-third of surveyed MAGA voters said the Iran war was worth its economic cost.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth provided no timeline for ending the war.
Deep Look
Trump Holds Iran Responsible for Houthi Operations
President Donald Trump warned Thursday that Iran would face severe military retaliation if Yemen’s Houthi rebels launch additional attacks against ships.
The warning followed Houthi claims of responsibility for strikes against two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.
“Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if they do this again, 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, who I am very disappointed with in that they have, until now, acted very professionally and smart,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump did not specify what form the proposed military response would take.
Houthi Attacks Threaten Saudi Oil Shipping
The two tanker attacks threaten a major route used by Saudi Arabia and other energy exporters to move crude oil to international customers.
The Houthis declared a “maritime embargo” against Saudi Arabia earlier in the week.
The group’s location in Yemen gives it access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow gateway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
A disruption there could restrict shipping at the same time that conflict between Washington and Tehran has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump Says Houthis Had Previously Shown Restraint
Trump expressed disappointment that the Houthis had resumed attacks after avoiding direct involvement during much of the current U.S.-Iran conflict.
“A year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis, for their interference with commerce and trade, by shooting at ships,” Trump wrote.
“Since that time, and during our conflict with Iran, they have acted very responsibly. Unfortunately, now they are starting up again, shooting at two Saudi Arabian ships last night.”
US Previously Bombed Houthi Targets
The Trump administration carried out a nearly two-month bombing campaign against Houthi targets beginning in March 2025.
Trump later announced that the campaign had ended after the Houthis told him “they want to stop the fighting.”
The group had launched repeated attacks against Red Sea shipping during former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The Houthis said those operations were connected to regional conflicts, while the United States described them as threats to international trade and freedom of navigation.
Rubio Says Iran Drew Houthis Into Conflict
Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged the Houthis to end their attacks and avoid deeper involvement in the war.
“I hope that will de-escalate, because I think the Houthis frankly got snookered into this thing by the Iranians,” Rubio told reporters in the Philippines.
“And they were smart to stay out of it and they should stay out of it and they should stop. We’ll see what happens there. Obviously, it’s not a positive development.”
Iran has long supported the Houthis financially and militarily. Tehran’s precise control over individual Houthi operations remains disputed, but the United States considers the group an Iranian proxy.
Red Sea Becomes a Second Energy Flashpoint
The Houthi attacks come as the United States and Iran are already fighting for control of the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. Central Command said Wednesday marked the 12th consecutive day of American attacks against Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz was a major route for global oil and natural gas shipments before the war. Its disruption has driven Brent crude above $100 per barrel and increased gasoline prices.
The emergence of another threatened trade route in the Red Sea creates additional risks for the world economy.
Trump Threatens Iranian Infrastructure
Trump has separately promised to destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant whenever Iran attacks a ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
Both Iran and the United States have increasingly targeted or threatened infrastructure as the conflict continues.
International law generally protects civilian infrastructure unless it is being used for military purposes.
Trump’s latest statement expands his threatened retaliation by making Tehran potentially responsible for operations conducted by the Houthis.
War Creates Political Pressure Before Midterms
The White House is confronting growing public concern about the war’s financial and human costs before the November midterm elections.
A July POLITICO poll found that slightly more than one-third of self-identified MAGA Trump voters believed the conflict was worth its economic cost.
Higher oil and gasoline prices have placed additional pressure on consumers and complicated the Republican Party’s economic message.
Congressional Democrats have also forced repeated votes seeking to limit Trump’s authority to continue military operations without formal authorization.
Hegseth Gives No Timeline for War’s End
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not provide an estimated end date during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing Tuesday.
He argued that American strikes had significantly weakened Iran’s military position.
Hegseth said Tehran was “in the worst place they’ve ever been” militarily.
Despite that assessment, fighting has expanded, diplomatic efforts have shown little visible progress and Iran’s regional allies are becoming more involved.
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