A screen capture from a video shows US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces carry out precision airstrikes kicking off a series of operations against Iranian-backed Houthi targets across Yemen, according to CENTCOM, on March 16, 2025. Photo: VCG

US fighter jets carried out a series of air strikes across Yemen on Saturday, killing at least 31 people as of press time, after US President Donald Trump warned the Houthi group not to attack ships passing through the Red Sea, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday. 

The raids are "the most significant military action" since US President Trump's return to power, per Al Jazeera.

The strikes signal a shift in the US' Middle East strategy toward more resolute and consistent support for Israel, experts said. This shift could further tilt the regional balance of power and potentially trigger an unexpected escalation of tensions, the experts noted.

According to Reuters, at least 31 were killed and 101 others injured in the US strikes, mostly women and children, Anees al-Asbahi, spokesperson for the Houthi-run health ministry said in an updated toll on Sunday. 

The large-scale US military operation came after the Houthis threatened to resume raids on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea over Israel's blockade of Gaza. The US strikes were launched from the air and sea on Saturday, focusing on Houthi forces' radar, air defense, missile and drone systems, with the aim of reopening the Red Sea shipping route, reported The New York Times.

Trump posted on social media Saturday that he ordered the US military to launch "decisive and powerful military action" against the Houthi group in Yemen, the report said. 

These US strikes are primarily aimed at aligning with Israel's Middle East policy, particularly regarding Palestine and Iran, to weaken the capabilities of Iran-backed groups that threaten Israel's security. Additionally, the move may also serve as an intimidation tactic toward Iran in an attempt to gain leverage in potential negotiations, Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

"It indicates a shift in the US' Middle East strategy. Compared to the Biden administration, the current US government appears more resolute and consistent in its support for Israel, which could further tilt the balance of power in the region," Zhu said, noting that the US might offer more direct military support to strike against forces, including the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.

Lü Xiang, an expert on US studies and a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noted that Washington is leveraging the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which favors Israel, to reinforce its image of global hegemony.

Following the US airstrikes, the Houthis vowed to launch retaliatory attacks, saying "this aggression will not pass without a response," and that the group is "fully prepared to confront escalation with escalation," the Houthis' political bureau said in a statement aired by al-Masirah TV, per a Xinhua report.

The top Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards reacted on Sunday by saying the Houthis are independent and take their own strategic and operational decisions.
"We warn our enemies that Iran will respond decisively and destructively if they take their threats into action," Hossein Salami told state media, per Reuters.

Zhu believes that Iran is likely to exercise restraint, while the Houthis may launch limited counterattacks with relatively low threat levels. However, extreme scenarios cannot be ruled out. Such responses could trigger broader repercussions, increasing risks, or even lead to unexpected consequences.

Since the first phase of the Gaza cease-fire expired on March 2, Israel has refused to open the second phase of talks, which would require it to negotiate over a permanent end to the war, the main demand of Hamas, Reuters reported. 

The US Department of State said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that continued Houthi attacks on US military and commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea will not be tolerated.

Lü, on the other hand, believes that Iran will not easily yield. Although regional countries have limited power, their views on the US are increasingly aligned. If US strikes directly involve Iran, regional conflicts could escalate, the expert told the Global Times.