US forces announce continued strikes against the Houthis, targeting Hodeidah with four raids.

US forces confirmed early Monday that military operations against the Houthis in Yemen were continuing, hours after launching four airstrikes in the western Yemeni province of Hodeidah.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a brief statement on its Twitter account that its operations against the Iran-backed Houthis are continuing, the day after a series of airstrikes targeted Sanaa and five Yemeni governorates, resulting in dozens of deaths and injuries.

CENTCOM released a short video of warplanes launching from a US aircraft carrier at sea to launch airstrikes, but provided no further details.

US Central Command ( CENTCOM ) forces continue their operations against the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists... pic.twitter.com/sQujgUCdS9

- US Central Command (@CENTCOMArabic) March 17, 2025

The Houthis announced Sunday night that the coastal province of Hodeidah had been subjected to four US airstrikes, following threats by the Houthi leader to target US ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for the US strikes.

According to Houthi media, "an American aggression targeted a cotton ginning plant in Zabid District," located in Al Hudaydah Governorate, with two airstrikes, which had previously been targeted by airstrikes over the past year.

It reported that two raids targeted the control tower of the detained ship, the Galaxy Leader, the only ship taken by the Houthis to the Yemeni coast on November 19, 2023.

The Houthis seized the Japanese cargo ship Galaxy Leader and its crew in the Red Sea, claiming that the shipping company associated with it was owned by Israeli businessmen. They detained its 25-member crew before releasing them in January following Omani mediation.

UN call for restraint

For his part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for maximum restraint and a halt to all military activities in Yemen. He stated, "Any further escalation could exacerbate regional tensions and fuel retaliatory measures, which could further destabilize Yemen and the region."

The raids came after the Houthi leader threatened, in a speech on Sunday evening, to target American cargo ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis had previously announced that they had targeted the US aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman with missiles in response to the American strikes.

Meanwhile, a US official said that an American fighter jet shot down 11 Houthi drones. He added, "The US military tracked a missile launched by the Houthis that failed to fly and fell into the waters off Yemen, posing no threat," according to Reuters.

The Houthis announced that the death toll from US airstrikes has risen to 53, after 47 US airstrikes were launched since Saturday evening, according to Houthi media.

The United States announced Saturday evening the launch of ongoing airstrikes against the Houthis, and the White House said Sunday evening that the raids targeted Houthi leaders. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States would continue attacking the Houthis in Yemen until they halt their attacks on shipping.