Trump Threatens Tehran With 'Major Military Punishment' If Houthis Strike Ships: 'US Will Blame Iran'
Trump Threatens Tehran With 'Major Military Punishment' If Houthis Strike Ships: 'US Will Blame Iran' Published By, Last Updated: July 23, 2026, 19:18 IST US
Trump Threatens Tehran With 'Major Military Punishment' If Houthis Strike Ships: 'US Will Blame Iran' Published By, Last Updated: July 23, 2026, 19:18 IST US President Donald Trump has warned Iran that if its proxy, the Houthis, attack any ship passing through the region, Tehran will be held responsible and punished severely. Rapid Read U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened Iran that there will be major punishment inflicted on them and their proxy, the Houthis, if the latter attacks any ship passing through the region. (Image courtesy: Reuters) US President Donald Trump has fired another verbal salvo at Iran. He has threatened the Islamic Republic that if its proxy in Yemen, the Houthis, attack any other ship transiting through the Bab el Mandeb strait, Tehran will be held responsible and a “major punishment will be inflicted" upon both. “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," said Trump on his social media platform Truth Social. Before threatening Iran, Trump argued that the Houthis had been acting responsibly in the region earlier after the US had carried out actions against the Yemen-based force in 2025.
He even described the Houthis having “acted very professionally and smart." “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," said the US President in his post. Interestingly, he said that is “disappointed" with the Houthis. Then, he thanked those paying attention to him. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!" he said. Escalating War The warning comes at a time when tensions in West Asia are steadily widening, with the conflict between the United States and Iran spilling beyond direct confrontation into key maritime routes and proxy theatres. The Bab el Mandeb strait, one of the world’s most critical shipping chokepoints linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, has once again emerged as a flashpoint after recent incidents involving commercial vessels. The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have long been accused by Washington and its allies of acting as a regional proxy for Tehran. Their past attacks on shipping lanes and energy infrastructure have raised concerns about the security of global trade, particularly as a significant portion of oil and goods transit through these waters.
The BriefWire