The United States will continue striking Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen until they agree to end their attacks on international shipping and military assets, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed during an interview on Sunday. Speaking with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, Hegseth made it clear that the military campaign would remain aggressive and unrelenting until stability in the region was restored.
Hegseth framed the current operations as a necessary correction to the past four years, describing the situation in the Red Sea as the result of an emboldened enemy left unchecked by the previous administration. “We’re sitting on four years of deferred maintenance from Joe Biden, where in particular, when you talk about the Houthis, they were allowed for over 100 times to shoot at U.S. ships, to shoot at commercial shipping,” he said. He noted that in one instance, a U.S. vessel had been targeted 17 times in a single mission.
.@SecDef: “An era of PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH is back — The minute the Houthis say ‘we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones,’ this campaign will end. But until then, it will be un-relenting.” ???????? pic.twitter.com/4nJP0kqhhJ
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 16, 2025
Freedom of navigation, Hegseth emphasized, is a core national security interest that cannot be compromised. He pointed out that ships had been under attack in the region for more than a year without a meaningful response from the previous administration, allowing the Houthis to escalate their aggression. He stated that President Trump’s policy of deterrence would be restored and that military action would continue until the Houthis ceased their operations.
Reports from Saturday night indicated that U.S. forces carried out extensive precision strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, causing widespread destruction. Hegseth described the impact as devastating, saying, “We got the reports last night, Maria, the Houthi capital felt like an earthquake, dozens and dozens of precision, heavy munitions dropping precisely on the targets that we wanted to hit, sending a very clear message.” He added that the strikes also served as a warning to Iran, making it clear that their support for the Houthis must end immediately.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group, have been a destabilizing force in the region, frequently targeting civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea. Their ability to operate with relative impunity over the last several years has only strengthened their position, and critics argue that past inaction has emboldened them.
Hegseth also issued a warning to Iran, making it clear that any direct involvement in the conflict would have serious consequences. He emphasized that Iran should reconsider its role in supporting Houthi forces, as U.S. military operations would not stop at just neutralizing the immediate threat.
This renewed military engagement in Yemen underscores the shift back toward a strategy of deterrence. The strikes against the Houthis mark a return to enforcing red lines in a region where U.S. strength had been diminished in recent years. Addressing threats decisively, rather than allowing adversaries to dictate the rules of engagement, is crucial to maintaining stability and protecting national security.
