Trump Holds Iran Responsible for Houthi Shipping Attacks, Threatens Major Military Punishment

President Donald Trump has warned that the United States will hold Iran fully responsible for any further Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and is prepared to inflict major military punishment on both Tehran and its Yemeni proxies if the assaults continue.

In a Truth Social post on Thursday, Trump noted that the Houthis had largely refrained from interfering with commerce since a powerful U.S. campaign against them a year earlier. That relative restraint ended, he said, with the group’s claimed overnight attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea. “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,” Trump wrote. He expressed disappointment that the group had abandoned what he described as previously professional conduct.

The warning comes amid an already intense U.S. military campaign against Iran that has stretched for nearly two weeks, focused on degrading Tehran’s ability to threaten vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has previously stated that the United States would destroy an Iranian bridge or power plant for every Iranian attack on a commercial ship in that critical waterway. In a separate interview, he indicated he is weighing an even larger operation against Iran — potentially bigger than previous actions — if Tehran continues to refuse negotiations while enabling attacks on international shipping. Military assets, including special operations forces, aircraft, bombers, and support personnel, have been surged to the region to expand options.

The Houthi movement, which controls key territory near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia earlier this week and claimed responsibility for striking the Saudi tankers Encelia and Layla. One vessel reported a fire after being hit. The attacks raise the prospect of a second major disruption to global energy routes at a time when traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily constrained by ongoing U.S.-Iran fighting. Shipping data has shown reduced vessel movements, course reversals by tankers carrying Saudi crude, and elevated war-risk concerns.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the administration’s position, arguing that the Houthis had been drawn into the conflict by Iran and that Tehran continues to pay a steep price for its actions. Rubio said Iran shows little genuine interest in durable negotiations and that sustained pressure is required to protect freedom of navigation and prevent further escalation.

The dual threats to the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz have heightened anxiety in energy markets, with oil prices reacting to the risk of simultaneous disruptions at two of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. Chinese-operated supertankers carrying Saudi crude have continued southward movements in recent days, testing the practical enforcement of the Houthi blockade, while other vessels have diverted or delayed.

Trump’s latest statements signal that the United States views Houthi actions not as independent but as extensions of Iranian strategy. Administration officials maintain that diplomacy remains available if Iran changes course, yet they have made clear that further attacks on shipping will trigger expanded military responses against both the proxies and their sponsor. As U.S. strikes continue and regional tensions deepen, the protection of commercial navigation remains a central justification for the ongoing campaign.