Trump: Iran will be punished for Houthi attacks on ships

Donald Trump, the U.S. president, said that the United States will hold Iran responsible for any future attack by Iran-backed Houthis on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that if the group targets ships again, it will face “severe military penalties.”

The warning came after Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea; an attack that took place just a few days after a maritime blockade was announced against Saudi ships.

On Thursday, July 23, Trump wrote in a post on the social media platform Truth Social: “If they (the Houthis) do such a thing again, the United States will hold Iran responsible, because the Houthis are a proxy force and dependent on Iran.

In that case, severe military penalties will be applied against Iran, and of course the Houthis themselves will also be targeted. I have been very disappointed with their performance, because until today they had acted in a very professional and smart way.”