‘Oops, there will be no attack…’: Donald Trump shares video of US airstrike on Houthi fighters

The black-and-white video, shared on Trump’s Truth Social account and X, appears to be taken from a drone. It shows around 70 individuals gathered in a loose oval, seemingly in a remote area, before a sudden explosion engulfs the center of the formation. A fireball and plume of smoke are seen rising, followed by images of a large crater and motionless bodies.

The footage does not reveal the exact location or date of the strike. The US Central Command and the White House have not commented on the post.

These Houthis gathered for instructions on an attack. Oops, there will be no attack by these Houthis!

They will never sink our ships again! pic.twitter.com/lEzfyDgWP5

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 4, 2025

Houthis blame US for wave of fatal strikes

According to Houthi officials and affiliated media, dozens of people have been killed in US airstrikes over recent weeks. The group has claimed that 58 people have died since March 15, as per reports from The New York Post. These strikes, they say, are in retaliation for Houthi attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea—attacks the rebels claim are responses to Israel’s ongoing campaign in Gaza.

The Trump administration has cited these maritime threats as justification for continued strikes.

On Monday, Trump posted:

“The Iran-backed Houthi Terrorists have been decimated by the relentless strikes over the past two weeks. Many of their Fighters and Leaders are no longer with us…. We hit them every day and night — Harder and harder. Their capabilities that threaten Shipping and the Region are rapidly being destroyed.”

He added:

“Our attacks will continue until they are no longer a threat to Freedom of Navigation. The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at US ships, and we will stop shooting at you… Otherwise, we have only just begun, and the real pain is yet to come, for both the Houthis and their sponsors in Iran.”

Trump reasserts aggressive military posture

Trump re-designated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in January. Since then, the US has carried out daily airstrikes against the Iranian-backed rebels, especially after renewed threats to Israeli vessels and US warships.

Late last month, the Houthis claimed responsibility for attacks on the USS Harry S. Truman and other US naval assets. They also shot down three MQ-9 Reaper drones in March, prompting new sanctions from the US State Department targeting the group’s financial and procurement networks.

To bolster regional security, the Pentagon announced the deployment of the USS Carl Vinson to join the USS Harry S. Truman in the Middle East.

While the US continues to hammer Houthi positions, Trump also issued a warning to Tehran, stating that if Houthi attacks do not cease, Washington could target Iran next.

(With inputs from South China Morning Post, Fox News, The New York Post)