The State Department on Sunday blasted Yemen’s Iran-sponsored Houthi terrorist movement for lethal attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and on Israel as new calls emerged for President Donald Trump to support Yemen’s legitimate government to topple the Houthi regime.

Walid Phares, a leading American expert on the Middle East, told Fox News Digital that regarding “negotiations with Hamas and the regime in Tehran, in my view, Iran is simply buying time to rearm and resume its regional expansion.” 

Phares said if the talks fail, there is a need “to reassemble a ground force comprised of units loyal to the legitimate Yemeni government (now in exile in Aden), and—crucially—the Southern Transitional Council (STC), whose forces are based in the Aden region and maintain frontlines adjacent to Houthi-controlled territory. Notably, STC forces have achieved the most significant victories against the Khomeinist militias in past years.” 

Fox News Digital reported on July 7 that Israel exchanged missile fire with Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Monday, targeting the group’s ports and other facilities.

Israel’s initial strikes came in reaction to a suspected Houthi attack on a Liberian-flagged ship in the Red Sea. The vessel was targeted with explosives and small arms fire, causing it to take on water and forcing the crew to abandon ship. The Houthis have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack. Israel’s military issued a warning prior to its attack, which targeted ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa and Salif.

“These ports are used by the Houthi terrorist regime to transfer weapons from the Iranian regime, which are employed to carry out terrorist operations against the state of Israel and its allies,” the Israeli military said.

Yemeni coast guard ships affiliated with the Houthi group patrol the sea on Jan. 4, 2024. International shipping has been disrupted by their presence. (AFP via Getty Images)

The Houthi attacks last week resulted in the sinking of the bulk carrier Magic Seas, resulting in the presumed killings of four people and 11 others who are missing, according to an AP report.

The announcement came as satellite photos show long, trailing oil slicks from where the bulk carrier Eternity C went down, and another when the Houthis sank the bulk carrier Magic Seas.

The Times of Israel reported that both ships were attacked over a week ago by the rebels as part of their campaign targeting vessels over the war in Gaza. The Houthi campaign has upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which $1 trillion of goods usually passes a year.

Houthi fighters walk over British and U.S. flags at a rally in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the recent Houthi strikes on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on Feb. 4, 2024 on the outskirts of Sana’a, Yemen. (Photo: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images)

A spokesperson for the State Department told Fox News Digital, “The United States condemns these attacks. These recent attacks have led to the loss of life, injury to sailors, and the sinking of cargo ships.Houthi attacks continue to endanger the lives of seafarers, harm economies across the region, and risk environmental disaster.”

The spokesperson added, “Global freedom of navigation and Israel have been under attack by the Houthi rebels for too long. The U.S. supports Israel’s ability to exercise its right to self-defense.”

After the Biden administration de-listed the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, the Trump administration swiftly restored the terrorist designation in March. 

The official slogan of the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) reads, “Allah is Greater. Death to America. Death to Israel. Curse on the Jews. Victory to Islam.” 

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and AP contributed to this report.