If the Houthis thought they were going to be able to slip under the radar while the Trump administration was preoccupied with Russia and Ukraine, and Israel and Hamas, they now know differently.

On Saturday afternoon, President Trump dropped a statement on Truth Social regarding the harassment by the Houthis and their pirating actions in the Middle East. In short, the new sheriff was officially done with their shenanigans.

Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.

Joe…

— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) March 15, 2025

The full post reads:

Today, I have ordered the United States Military to launch decisive and powerful Military action against the Houthi terrorists in Yemen. They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones.

Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going. It has been over a year since a U.S. flagged commercial ship safely sailed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, or the Gulf of Aden. The last American Warship to go through the Red Sea, four months ago, was attacked by the Houthis over a dozen times. Funded by Iran, the Houthi thugs have fired missiles at U.S. aircraft, and targeted our Troops and Allies. These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk.

The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective. The Houthis have choked off shipping in one of the most important Waterways of the World, grinding vast swaths of Global Commerce to a halt, and attacking the core principle of Freedom of Navigation upon which International Trade and Commerce depends.

Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom. No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.

To all Houthi terrorists, YOUR TIME IS UP, AND YOUR ATTACKS MUST STOP, STARTING TODAY. IF THEY DON’T, HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!

To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!

Every single sensible person applauded. After the Biden administration’s pathetic tit-for-tat treatment of the Houthis – after the insanely idiotic move of removing them off the list of foriegn terrorist organizations, which Team Trump promptly reinstated on day two in office – the about-face of treating the Houthis like the terrorist threat that they are is a welcome proposition.

Killing a bunch of terrorist-pirates who attack global shipping routes is one of the royal granddaddy responsibilities of a government. Hard to get more basic government duty than that. It’s as American as apple pie.

— Sunny (@sunnyright) March 16, 2025

President Trump is channeling his inner Thomas Jefferson, and going after pirates. Sending an additional message to Iran is also a good touch. While Hamas continues to dither and dangle hostages in front of negotiators, having American forces conduct airstrikes on the Houthis does serve as an important reminder that the ice cream eating old geezer who couldn’t take a meeting after dinner is no longer in charge, and that the Trump team can balance multiple spinning plates at once.

National Security Adviser Mike Waltz was very direct – the era of Biden scolding the Houthis and asking them to behave is over.

Asked how the U.S. attacks this weekend differ from strikes under the Biden administration, Waltz said those “back-and-forth” strikes “ultimately proved to be feckless attacks.”

“This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out,” Waltz said in an interview on ABC News’s “This Week.”

“And the difference here is, one, going after the Houthi leadership and, two, holding Iran responsible,” he continued.

Waltz stressed the negative consequences that the Houthis have had on global commerce.

“It is Iran that has repeatedly funded, resourced, trained and helped the Houthis target not only U.S. warships, but global commerce, and has helped the Houthis shut down two of the world’s most strategic sea lanes,” Waltz said, noting nearly three-quarters of global shipping “is now diverting around southern Africa, adding to the cost of goods, disrupting global economies, adding to – or shutting off supplies to the United States.”

“President Trump has found it unacceptable. What we inherited was – was a terrible situation. And this is one of what will be a sustained effort to right that wrong and to reopen global commerce,” Waltz added.

The Houthis were mad and counter-attacked. Or so they say. Apparently, the Navy didn’t make a big deal about the Houthi drone attack and picked them off like this was a video game.

American F-16 and F-18 fighter aircraft have shot down 11 drones fired by the terror group since President Donald Trump approved an order for air strikes over Yemen on Saturday night, Fox News reported.

The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the drones did not come close to the Harry S Truman aircraft carrier, which has played a key role in the latest military action.

Tracking also showed at least one Houthi missile failed in flight and splashed down in the waters off Yemen.

The US military took no action because it was not deemed a threat, the official said.

Compared to American military might, the Houthis are annoying houseflies that can be swatted down. That they weren’t immediately is the fault of the Biden administration, and whoever was in charge. The Houthis, however, are determined to learn this lesson the hard way. They have claimed (via their “health ministry” and the Associated Press, which should be treated with all the proper skepticism) that the American airstrikes have killed 53 people – they claim this includes women and children – and injured 100 more. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that the airstrikes would end when the piracy and harassment ends. So what was the response from the Houthis? Announce that all U.S. ships are hereby “banned” from going through Bab al-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.

Okay then. Let’s see how this works out for them.

CENTCOM forces continue operations against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists… pic.twitter.com/zEWykoDKQR

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 17, 2025

All we need is some “Danger Zone” playing as background music.

Iran is apparently claiming that the Houthis are high on their own supply, and they totally are not helping them out.

On Sunday, the head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, denied his country was involved in the Houthis’ attacks, saying it “plays no role in setting the national or operational policies” of the militant groups it is allied with across the region, according to state-run TV.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, writing on X, urged the U.S. to halt its airstrikes and said Washington cannot dictate Iran’s foreign policy.

Someone sounds a little nervous, and rightfully so. Iran has taken several hits lately thanks to the decimation of their terror buddies, courtesy of Israel. To have American naval forces coming in to protect American ships and shipping interests, and engaging the Houthis, has to be making Iran twitchy. Getting the trade routes moving again, without threat of Houthi interference, will be a net positive for the world economy. That the Biden administration let this situation fester was positively nuts. President Trump ordering a smackdown is both necessary for security purposes, and sends a message to the Middle East. The new sheriff is not playing around. React accordingly.

Featured image: USS Harry S Truman via Military_Material on Pixabay, cropped, Pixabay license