The United States has promised to continue striking Yemen’s Houthi rebels until they stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. This comes after a recent wave of US airstrikes that reportedly killed at least 53 people, making it the largest US military action in the Middle East since President Donald Trump’s return in January.

The Houthis, a group backed by Iran, have warned of further retaliation. Their leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said they would keep targeting US ships as long as the US continues its attacks on Yemen. “If they continue their aggression, we will continue the escalation,” he said.

The Houthi political bureau called the US strikes a war crime, while Russia urged the US to stop its military actions.

Early Monday, the Houthis claimed they had launched another attack on the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea. However, US warplanes intercepted and shot down 11 Houthi drones before they could get close. A missile was also tracked but was not considered a threat.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, “The minute the Houthis say we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones. This campaign will end, but until then it will be unrelenting.”

The Houthis have controlled much of Yemen for the past decade. Recently, they announced they would resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red Sea if Israel did not lift restrictions on aid entering Gaza.

The situation remains tense, with both sides refusing to back down, raising fears of a wider conflict in the region.