Flashpoint in Yemen: US strikes Houthi sites near capital

Shafaq News/ US warplanes launched three airstrikes on Sunday targeting a ceramics factory in the Bani Matar district west of Yemen’s capital Sanaa, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.

The strikes follow US raids a day earlier on the districts of al-Sawma’ah, al-Salim, and al-Munirah. In March, US President Donald Trump ordered intensified strikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen.

US Central Command said the operations were intended to “protect American interests” and deter Houthi threats in the Red Sea.

The Houthis (Ansarallah) announced they had launched drone and missile attacks targeting the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the northern Red Sea in response.

The group continues to target Israeli sites and commercial vessels headed to Israeli ports, claiming the campaign aims to impose a maritime blockade in solidarity with Gaza.

The Red Sea has become a key flashpoint since the start of the Gaza war, with repeated Houthi attacks on regional and international shipping lanes.

In response, the United States and its allies have carried out airstrikes aimed at deterring further assaults, amid growing concerns over regional escalation and the impact on global maritime trade.