Politics
Russia’s FM Lavrov Urges US to Halt Airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthis Immediately
Yemen War Heats Up: Russia Slams U.S. Strikes as Houthis Vow Revenge
The Yemen conflict’s spiraling again, with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Sunday calling out the U.S. to “immediately” stop its airstrikes on Houthi rebels. The plea came after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tipped Lavrov off March 15 about Washington’s plan to hammer the Iran-backed group—talk about a hotline flare-up. Russia’s Foreign Ministry says Lavrov pushed for all sides to drop the guns and talk, but with bombs still falling, that’s a tall order.
Casualties Pile Up
The U.S. unleashed a barrage Saturday night—some call it the biggest since Trump’s second term kicked off in January. Houthi-run health officials peg the toll at 53 dead—five women, two kids among them—and nearly 100 wounded. Sanaa’s streets and Saada’s rebel heartland took the brunt, with smoke still curling over wrecked sites Monday morning. The Houthis’ political wing roared back, promising to “meet escalation with escalation”—and they’re not kidding around, claiming missile and drone swipes at the USS Harry S. Truman carrier group. U.S. brass shrugged it off to AP: “We’re not tracking any hits.”
World Weighs In
The UN’s Antonio Guterres jumped in Sunday, begging for “utmost restraint” and a full stop to the fighting. Yemen’s already the Arab world’s poorest mess—his team’s warning of a humanitarian cliff’s no exaggeration. Trump’s not budging, though—on Truth Social, he doubled down: “Decisive action against Houthi terrorists” is the only way to choke their “piracy and violence” on Red Sea shipping. Lavrov’s call for peace got an echo on X—posts like “End this now” are trending—but Houthi vows of payback are drowning out the doves.
What’s Next?
This ain’t cooling off fast. The Houthis—fired up after 47 U.S. strikes, per Euronews—say they’ve got more in the tank, eyeing American ships if the bombs keep dropping. Trump’s crew, with Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in lockstep, says they’ll pound until the rebels can’t hit back. Russia’s pushing talks, but with Iran in the Houthis’ corner and the U.S. flexing solo after Biden’s lighter touch, diplomacy’s on life support. Yemen’s bleeding—and the world’s watching a fuse burn shorter.
