Houthi Missiles Target Aden Presidential Palace as Trump Condemns Escalation

Houthi rebels launched multiple missiles on Thursday targeting the presidential palace compound in the southern Yemeni city of Aden, according to two Yemeni government officials cited by Reuters. The strike resulted in the deaths of two security guards, while three eyewitnesses reported hearing powerful explosions near the palace grounds. Yemeni Prime Minister and other ministers present at the compound remained uninjured.

Simultaneously, the Houthi movement renewed warnings to international airlines, declaring Saudi airspace and airports unsafe. US President Donald Trump strongly condemned the Houthis during remarks at the White House and in a subsequent post on Truth Social. Trump asserted that the group resumed attacks under Iranian directives to drive up oil prices ahead of US elections.

Trump stated that the Houthis are misbehaving severely and attacking Saudi Arabia to influence upcoming political outcomes. The US President's statements followed a declaration by Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea outlining a new equation where any strike on Sanaa would be met with severe retaliation against Riyadh. Meanwhile, the Saudi military initiated strikes on an oil facility west of Sanaa following prior evacuation warnings.