WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump said on social media Saturday that he has ordered the US Military to launch "decisive and powerful military action" against the Houthi militia in Yemen.

Accusing the group of waging an "unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones," Trump said on Truth Social that the Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. "We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective."

US warships and jets launched attacks across Yemen, targeting radars, air defense sites and drone launch points, The Washington Post quoted a US defense official as saying.

The operation is the start of a campaign targeting Houthi military capabilities, following attacks against merchant ships and US forces in the region, the official said.

The Trump administration has redesignated the Houthi group as a "foreign terrorist organization" earlier this month.