Iran abandons Houthi rebels to their fate under relentless Trump strikes as Ayatollah braces for looming US onslaught
IRAN has ordered its military troops to abandon Houthi terrorists and leave Yemen amid relentless airstrikes from the US.
Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is reportedly amassing troops to brace for potential US airstrikes after Trump threatened to bomb the regime “like never before”.
The US Navy has been bombarding Houthi targets in Yemen after the proxy terror group twice attacked the American aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman, and its accompanying warships within 24 hours.
He threatened to hold Iran accountable for “every shot” the Houthis fired at the US from no.
The president also vowed to bomb Iran “like never before” if the regime does not fall in line and strike up a new nuclear deal with the US.
Tehran was slapped with a chilling deadline to either sign a new agreement or potentially face military action – which Khamenei refused to agree to.
One senior Iranian military official said that the regime’s decision to ditch their support for the Houthis was made to prepare for a direct conflict with the US, according to The Telegraph.
The source said that Tehran wants to focus more on the threat from Donald Trump rather than spending its resources on its proxy network in the Middle East.
They said: “The view here is that the Houthis will not be able to survive and are living their final months or even days, so there is no point in keeping them on our list.
“They were part of a chain that relied on Nasrallah [the former secretary-general of Hezbollah] and Assad, and keeping only one part of that chain for the future makes no sense.
“Tehran’s primary concern is Trump and how to deal with him.”
“Every meeting is dominated by discussions about him, and none of the regional groups we previously supported are being discussed.”
It comes just days after The Sun exclusively revealed how the US and Israel are planning to blitz in an attack which was “long overdue”.
A senior Israeli politician in Jerusalem told The Sun it is more important now than ever to stop Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s nuclear ambitions.
The Sun also exclusively unmasked two Iranian warmongers directly commanding Houthi operations in Yemen.
Sources inside Iran exposed how Houthi activities are being directly commanded by senior members of Tehran’s IRGC Quds Force.
The leading official is IRGC Brigadier General Abdolreza Shahlai, who is in charge of all military, political, and economic matters related to the regime’s intervention in Yemen – including all Houthi attacks.
Among his damning track record was a plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington, which was foiled in October 2011.
Shahlai – based in the Quds Force headquarters in Qasr-e Firouzeh district – goes by the nickname Haj Yusuf and has a $15 million (£11.5m) bounty on his head.
The US government has offered the eye-watering reward for the financial activities, networks, and associates of Shahlai.
Other key figures involved in directing Houthi’s actions are Quds Force commander-in-chief Brigadier General Ismail Qaani, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh, deputy Quds Force commander, and an IRGC commander nicknamed Abu Fatemeh.
Houthi rebels in Yemen have repeatedly attacked merchant vessels in the Red Sea with drones – sinking at least two and killing four sailors.
Houthis, who are funded by the Iranian regime, operate on rudimentary intelligence and military equipment provided by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Trump has threatened to hold Iran accountable for “every shot” the Houthis fire.
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels have spent months terrorising the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on vessels and warships - but who are they?
The Shia militant group, which now controls large swaths of Yemen, spent over a decade being largely ignored by the world.
However, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage – turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Their warped battle cry is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”.
Why are they attacking ships?
After the October 7 massacre, Houthis began launching relentless drone and missile attacks on any ships – including warships – they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally, Hamas.
In reality, they targeted commercial vessels with little or no link to Israel – forcing global sea traffic to largely halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices around the world soaring.
The sea assaults added to the carnage in the Middle East tinderbox as intense ripples from Israel’s war in Gaza were felt across the region – with Iran accused of stoking the chaos.
The Houthi chiefs pledged their Red Sea attacks would continue until Israel stopped its offensive in Gaza.
The group’s chiefs have previously said their main targets are Israel, and its allies the US and Britain.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint US and UK strikes blitzing their strongholds in Yemen – Iran’s terror proxy appears undeterred.
The UK and US have hit Houthi bases as recently as this month after the terror group once again targeted boats in the shipping lane.
Israel has also hammered the group with airstrikes, reportedly hitting oil storage tanks at the port in Al Hudaydah.
ON THE EDGE
In a chilling letter delivered to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on March 7, Trump suggested direct negotiations of a fresh nuclear agreement between the two counties.
But he also warned of the consequences if Iran were to reject the offer and continue to advance its nuke programme.
However, over the weekend, Iran rejected the US proposal to engage in direct negotiations over the future of Tehran’s nuclear plans.
The snub saw a furious Trump rip into the regime and threaten to strike Iran.
He said he would slap Tehran with further sanctions under his administration’s maximum pressure policy to cripple its economy.
Trump told NBC: “If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing.
“It will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before.”
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded to Trump’s threat, saying the US would receive a strong blow if they decide to act.
Khamenei said: “The enmity from the US and Israel has always been there.
“They threaten to attack us, which we don’t think is very probable, but if they commit any mischief, they will surely receive a strong reciprocal blow.
“And if they are thinking of causing sedition inside the country, as in past years, the Iranian people themselves will deal with them.”
LOCKING TARGETS
The war of words came as the US amassed at least five B-2 strategic bombers on the British island of Diego Garcia – all aimed at Iran.
Iran is over 2,300 miles from where the bombers are stationed – but the B-2s have a massive 6,900-mile range.
The heavy bombers can obliterate targets with their huge 25-tonne bomb payload per jet.
It had been thought the five B-2 Spirit bombers were aimed at Yemen and the Houthi terror group after Trump launched strikes against them two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, reports also emerged revealing Tehran’s preparation for a potential US strike.
Iran is said to be readying itself by setting up missiles with the capability to strike US positions, The Tehran Times revealed.
A significant number of these weapons are located in underground facilities scattered across the country, designed to withstand airstrikes.