{"id":329543,"date":"2025-03-17T09:43:30","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T08:43:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/?p=329543"},"modified":"2025-03-17T19:55:16","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T18:55:16","slug":"iran-news-in-brief-march-16-2025-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ncr-iran.org\/en\/news\/iran-news-in-brief-news\/iran-news-in-brief-march-16-2025-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran News in Brief \u2013 March 17, 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Villagers from Kamar Kuh in Zanjan Province protested in front of the provincial governorate office on March 16, 2025<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

THIS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED WITH THE LATEST NEWS<\/h3>\n

UPDATE: 7:30 PM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Trump Warns Iran Over Houthi Attacks Amid U.S. Airstrikes in Yemen<\/h3>\n

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As U.S. airstrikes continue to target Iranian regime-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to Tehran, holding it directly responsible for the group’s ongoing attacks on international shipping.<\/p>\n

In a Truth Social post<\/a> on March 17, Trump declared that “every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon as a shot fired by Iran”, emphasizing that his administration would retaliate against the regime in Tehran should the attacks persist. He accused the regime of orchestrating the Houthi assaults on merchant vessels, supplying the group with weapons, funding, intelligence, and military equipment while pretending to be a mere bystander.<\/p>\n

The Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on cargo ships since November 2023, sinking at least two vessels and killing four sailors, according to U.S. intelligence. The group claims to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels but Washington argues the attacks pose a broader threat to global trade.<\/p>\n

The Trump administration\u2019s recent airstrikes<\/a>\u2014which killed at least 53 people over the weekend, including civilians\u2014represent a significant escalation from the Biden-era approach, which previously sought to contain the Houthis without full-scale retaliation. Trump\u2019s Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the strikes, stating, “We\u2019re doing the entire world a favor by getting rid of these guys and their ability to strike global shipping.”<\/p>\n

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UPDATE: 11:30 AM CET<\/span><\/p>\n

Waltz Says U.S. Could Hit Iranian Targets in Yemen Next<\/h3>\n

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National security adviser Mike Waltz said Sunday that the U.S. could hit Iranian\u00a0targets in Yemen<\/a>\u00a0as part of its military campaign against the Houthis.<\/p>\n

Why it matters:\u00a0<\/strong>President\u00a0Trump<\/a>\u00a0ordered strikes across Yemen on Saturday which killed at least 31 people, according to Houthi affiliated media, and which Waltz claimed “hit multiple Houthi leaders and took them out.” Waltz made clear the U.S. is willing to target not just the Iran-backed Houthis, but targets more directly linked to Iran.<\/p>\n

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  • He said that targets that “will be on the table” include Iranian ships near the Yemeni coast that help the Houthis in gathering intelligence, Iranian military trainers, and “other things they have put in to help the Houthis attack the global economy.”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The big picture:<\/strong>\u00a0Trump sent a letter to Iran’s<\/a>\u00a0Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week proposing negotiations on a new nuclear deal.<\/p>\n

    Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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    US Strikes ‘Took Out’ Multiple Houthi Leaders: National Security Adviser Mike Waltz<\/h3>\n

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    The\u00a0United States airstrikes<\/a>\u00a0that bombarded Yemen over the weekend targeted and “took out” multiple leaders of the Iranian-backed Houthis, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said Sunday.<\/p>\n

    Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Waltz argued to co-anchor Martha Raddatz that these latest strikes differed from the\u00a0countless strikes<\/a>\u00a0former President Joe Biden’s administration launched against the rebel group, explaining that President Donald Trump’s administration has taken the extra step of designating the Houthis a foreign terrorist organization.<\/p>\n

    “These were not kind of pinprick, back and forth — what ultimately proved to be feckless attacks,” Waltz said. “This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out. And the difference here is, one, going after the Houthi leadership, and two, holding Iran responsible.”<\/p>\n

    Read more<\/a><\/p>\n

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    Joe Biden let Iran-backed rebels target American sailors and threaten international commerce.<\/p>\n

    President Trump has sent a clear message: America will no longer tolerate threats from Iran and its proxies. pic.twitter.com\/kZUHyhP6H2<\/a><\/p>\n

    — Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) March 16, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n