UPDATE - Houthis say US airstrikes destroyed iron factory in Yemen’s Al Hudaydah

ADDS MORE DETAILS, BACKGROUND

By Hamdi Yılmaz and Mohammad Sio

SANAA, Yemen (AA) – Yemen’s Houthi group said late Monday that a series of US airstrikes had destroyed an iron factory in the Al Hudaydah province, western Yemen.

Al-Masirah TV, a Houthi-affiliated channel, reported that the US carried out multiple airstrikes on the Al-Habshi Iron Factory, reducing it to rubble.

No further details were provided.

In a separate report, the outlet noted that another US airstrike hit the Al-Araj area in the same district, offering no specifics on the target or any casualties.

Earlier in the day, the group reported two US airstrikes targeted a cotton workshop in the Zabid district of Al Hudaydah province, causing unspecified damage.

There was no comment from the US on the strikes.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday warned that “hell will rain down” if the Iranian-backed group continues its attacks on Red Sea shipping, marking the first such strikes since a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza took effect on Jan. 19.

The Houthis warned Israel on March 7 to allow humanitarian aid into the blockaded Gaza Strip within four days or face renewed maritime operations against Israeli-linked vessels.

The Houthis have been attacking Israeli-linked ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden with missiles and drones since late 2023, disrupting global trade for what it said was a show of solidarity with the Gaza Strip.

The group halted attacks when a Gaza ceasefire was declared in January between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. But it threatened to resume the attacks when Israel blocked all aid into Gaza on March 2.