Houthis threaten new Red Sea attacks as US aircraft carrier heads toward Iran

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels threatened new attacks on ships traveling through the Red Sea corridor, likely seeking to back Iran as it worried Monday about an approaching US aircraft carrier after US President Donald Trump threatened military action over its crackdown on nationwide protests.

A short video by the Houthis included previously published images of a ship on fire, with the caption: “Soon.” The rebels did not elaborate, but their campaign in the Red Sea saw over 100 ships attacked as part of a campaign the Houthis said pressured Israel over its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The rebels also fired ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, most of which were intercepted by air defenses, though one person was killed and some buildings were damaged in the attacks. The Houthis halted their fire after a ceasefire in the conflict, though they’ve repeatedly warned they could resume fire if needed.

The Houthi threat comes as the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and guided missile destroyers with it move toward the region. Trump has said the ships are being moved “just in case” he decides to take action against Iran. Trump laid out two red lines for attack: the killing of peaceful protesters — which evidence indicates took place in the thousands — and Tehran conducting mass executions of those it has arrested in a massive crackdown over the demonstrations.

Meanwhile, the Kataeb Hezbollah group in Iraq called on supporters and allies of Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance” to prepare for a broad conflict to defend the Islamic Republic.

The group’s leader Abu Hussein al‑Hamidawi issued a statement Sunday saying “We affirm to the enemies that war against [Iran] will not be a walk in the park,” according to an English translation from Al-Jazeera.

“But rather, you will taste the bitterest forms of death, and nothing will remain of you in our region,” he said.

Iran is still reeling from a 12-day war launched by Israel in June 2025 that saw its air defense systems broadly destroyed and top military leaders killed, as well as its nuclear enrichment sites bombed by the US.

Israel attacked, saying it was facing an immediate existential threat from Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs. During the war, Iran fired missiles at Israeli military sites and cities, killing dozens of people and damaging thousands of homes.

Kataeb Hezbollah did not come to Iran’s assistance during the June war, but al‑Hamidawi said that in the event of a US attack, the situation would be different, while stressing the need for allies to support Iran “in whatever way they can.”

#Houthis’ “War Media” X account posted this video with the caption “coming soon.” Reports indicate the group has recently reinforced positions along the #RedSea, possibly in preparation to escalate. escalation.pic.twitter.com/akgY0fydSS

— Nadwa Dawsari (@Ndawsari) January 25, 2026

Iran’s Wana outlet reported that al‑Hamidawi also urged preparation for the possible declaration of “jihad” and everything that implies, including suicide attacks.

Kataeb Hezbollah held Israeli-Russian doctoral student Elizabeth Tsurkov captive for two years until her release last year.

Iran renews threats and limits smaller flights

Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson Gen. Reza Talaei-Nik renewed warnings Monday to both Israel and the US over any possible attack, saying it would “be met with a response that is more painful and more decisive than in the past.” Iranian state television quoted Talaei-Nik as adding that threats from the two countries required Iran “to maintain full and comprehensive preparedness.”

Israel has not directly threatened to attack Iran, saying only that it is ready to confront any threats to its security.

Tehran has said in the past that it would target Israel and US military targets in the Middle East if Trump were to order strikes.

Iran over the weekend unveiled a new banner in Enghelab Square threatening the Lincoln, showing an aircraft carrier strewn with bodies and streaked with blood, with the warning: “If you sow the wind, you will reap the whirlwind.”

As a sign of concern over its airspace, Iran issued a notice to pilots Sunday that banned small private aircraft from flying in the country, with carveouts for the oil industry and emergency medical flights.

Many Western airlines have started to avoid Iranian airspace entirely due to the tensions, though Gulf Arab carriers flying to Moscow still rely on the route. Iranian air defense troops in 2020 shot down a Ukrainian commercial airliner, killing 176 people on board.

Death toll rises from protest crackdown

The protests in Iran began on December 28, sparked by the fall of the Iranian currency, the rial, and quickly spread across the country. They were met with a violent crackdown by Iran’s theocracy, the scale of which is only starting to become clear as the country has faced more than two weeks of internet blackout — the most comprehensive in the nation’s history.

The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency on Sunday put the death toll at 5,848, with the number expected to increase. It said more than 41,280 people had been arrested.

The group’s figures have been accurate in previous unrest and rely on a network of activists in Iran to verify deaths. That death toll exceeds that of any other round of protest or unrest there in decades, and recalls the chaos surrounding Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. The Associated Press has not been able to independently verify the toll.

However, on Sunday, Time Magazine and the opposition-linked Iran International news outlet both cited separate estimates that put the death toll at over 30,000.

Iran’s government has put the death toll at a far lower 3,117, saying 2,427 were civilians and security forces, and labeled the rest “terrorists.” In the past, Iran’s theocracy has undercounted or not reported fatalities from unrest.