The Yemen-based Houthis have been kicking up their heels again, at the behest of their Iranian overlords and benefactors. They have been taking potshots at shipping in the Red Sea, including two Saudi Arabian-flagged ships, which is a dangerous gamble for the Houthis.
It may be about to get a lot more dangerous for the Houthis. On Thursday, President Trump used his Truth Social platform, as he is in the habit of doing, to announce a warning against the Houthis - and Iran.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 23, 2026
The president writes:
A year ago the United States of America attacked, very powerfully, the Houthis, for their interference with commerce and trade, by shooting at ships. 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. 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. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
It's liable to cause some raised eyebrows, the president's assertion that the Houthis have ever acted "very professionally and smart."
Read More: New Yemen Threat: Rubio Says Iran Now Flying IRGC to Aid Houthis
Houthis Enter the Chat. Yemen Proclaims 'Embargo' of Red Sea Shipping From Saudi Arabia
That may well be a Trumpian negotiating tactic, but it does not seem like it will carry much weight with the Houthis. They are clients of the mullahs in Tehran, and they are certainly aware of what side their falafel is buttered on.
Still, attacking Saudi shipping doesn't seem like a professional or smart move at all. The Saudis have hammered the Houthis several times in the past, most notably in 2015, when they launched what they called Operation Decisive Storm, wherein the Saudis joined forces with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, with logistical support from the United States. These nations attacked known Houthi installations and camps by air. The Saudis have hit the Houthis on and off until the United Nations coordinated a fragile peace deal in 2022, but that peace has fallen apart this year. And, given the abandon with which the United States has been hammering the Iranians, the Houthis would do well to pull in their horns.
But then, groups of nuts like this aren't known for doing the smart thing. For that matter, the Houthis' Iranian overlords aren't exactly doing the professional or smart thing right now either, or else they would have folded their tents and packed it in two months ago. But desperate men aren't known for acting rationally, and if there's one word that would characterize Iran's actions since February of this year, it would be "irrational."
So, the Houthis may be in for another pounding by the Saudis, and Iran is still undergoing a pounding from the United States. As for the United States, it seems President Trump has determined that the only way out is through, and he's going through Iran like Schiff through a goose.
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