Donald Trump threatens “immense military punishment” against Iran and the Houthis if they do not stop their attacks on ships in the Gulf

In a post on his Truth Social network, Trump recalled that “a year ago, the US attacked the Houthis with great force because they interfered with trade by shooting at ships,” and acknowledged that since then, and during the war with Iran, “they had acted very responsibly.”

Trump added that “unfortunately, they are back at it again” with the shooting of two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea.

“Let this message serve to make clear that, if they do this again, the United States will hold Iran responsible, given that the Houthis act as their representatives or agents, and will impose severe military punishment on both Iran and the Houthis themselves,” he said.

“They are starting up again… 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” – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aGLaW6C4nw

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 23, 2026

The US president’s warning comes the day after his government signed an agreement with Saudi Arabia for this country to develop a nuclear program, which Trump now conditions on the normalization of relations with Israel.

The Yemeni rebel group, an ally of Tehran, stated this Thursday that it attacked the “Encelia” and “Layla” ships, flying the Saudi flag, because they did not comply with the blockade they maintain in the Red Sea region, an oil route that has become relevant after the interruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz due to the war between the US and Iran.

A fence in this area would open a new front in the conflictwhose current escalation complicates efforts towards a peace agreement.

This is the first military action by the Houthis since they announced on Monday the maritime blockade of Saudi Arabian ships in the Red Sea and represents the most serious direct confrontation since the start in 2022 of a UN-mediated rapprochement process between the Saudis and Houthis.

Trump already warned on Tuesday that he would take action if the Houthis carried out their blockade threats, while Riyadh promised that it would protect its ships with “all necessary resources.”

The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchí, assured this Thursday that Iran has no mediation problems with the United States and that the problem in the negotiations is the Washington’s “unreasonable and hegemonic approach”which does not want to respect Iranian interests.

Araqchí spoke in this way when asked about the visit a few days ago to Washington by the Prime Minister of Iraq, Ali al Zaidi, who was received in Tehran by the Iranian president, Masud Pezeshkian, and after the head of US diplomacy, Marco Rubio, stated shortly before that Iran “is running out” of countries through which to send its pleas to reach an agreement.

“The Iraqi Prime Minister has visited Washington and it is natural that he conveys to us his opinions and perceptions about this trip; this is completely normal,” said the senior diplomat, who added that there are “multiple people” who can play the role of mediator with Washington and who have no problem with messages being exchanged.

The real problem, he stressed, is the “irrational, excessive and authoritarian approach” of the United States, with whom there will be no agreement until it ensures respect for the Iranian nation.

This same Thursday, Rubio stated from Manila that Iran “begs Washington every day” to “reach an agreement.”

“The problem with Iran is that every time they reach an agreement they break it or want to change it,” added the Secretary of State, also ensuring that the Islamic Republic “will continue to pay the price” of prolonging the war, and that the cost “rises more and more every night.”

In this context, Rubio insisted that Tehran constantly sends Washington “messages through third countries”, without detailing which ones, and assured that Iran “is running out” of States “through which to send” the supposed pleas.