U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has directed the Department of Defense to take military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen in response to their escalated attacks on targets in the Red Sea.

In a March 28 letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate President Pro Tempore Charles Grassley released by the White House, Trump stated he had ordered the Pentagon to "deploy additional combat-ready forces to the Middle East to enhance U.S. defensive capabilities and facilitate necessary military operations."

He confirmed that under his directive, "U.S. Central Command forces launched extensive strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen to eliminate capabilities used to attack American forces and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and surrounding waters."

The operations involved:

• U.S. Navy ships and aircraft

• U.S. Air Force bombers, fighter jets, and drones

Targets included:

• Houthi leadership (individuals)

• Military equipment

• Command-and-control infrastructure

• Weapons storage facilities

"We will continue these decisive military operations," Trump vowed, "until the Houthi threat to U.S. forces and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea region ceases."

The President emphasized these measures align with his constitutional duty to:

1. Protect Americans abroad

2. Safeguard U.S. national security

3. Advance foreign policy interests

"We will no longer tolerate these pirate gangs threatening U.S. forces and commercial ships in one of the world's most critical shipping lanes," Trump declared, noting Houthi militants have repeatedly launched attacks from Yemeni bases against maritime traffic and U.S. forces in Yemeni airspace and territorial waters.

The U.S. began sustained airstrikes against the Houthis in mid-March, with operations continuing through the present.