United States will continue to target Yemen’s Houthi forces until they stop attacking shipping, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday. His comments come after a large US airstrike campaign that the Houthi-controlled health ministry says has killed at least 53 individuals. The attacks are the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January.
A high-ranking US official explained that the operation could go on for weeks. Meanwhile, Houthi chief Abdul Malik al-Houthi threatened to intensify attacks on US naval ships in the Red Sea if the airstrikes do not stop. “If they persist in aggression, we will persist in escalation,” he stated in a broadcast address.
The Houthis’ military spokesman averred, albeit without providing supporting evidence, that the group fired ballistic missiles and drones at the US aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman. Contrarily, according to a US defense official who could not be identified, there had been no indication of such an attack.
Hegseth did support the airstrikes, reporting on Fox News that the campaign aims to “reopen freedom of navigation” and counter Iranian-backed threats. “The minute the Houthis quit shooting at ships and drones, this campaign will be over. But until then, it will be relentless,” he added.
The Houthis, who dominate Yemen, have been attacking shipping since late 2023 in retaliation for Israel’s war against Hamas, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. They issued a warning last week of renewed attacks on Israeli ships unless aid restrictions on Gaza were removed.
Trump also issued a direct warning to Iran, the Houthis’ primary supporter, urging it to cease backing the group. “If Iran threatens the US, America will hold you fully accountable, and we won’t be nice about it!” he stated.