Pentagon Leader Issues Threats to Iran in Response to Houthi Assaults
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accused Iran of supplying arms to Houthi fighters in Yemen, issuing a warning that Tehran will face repercussions at a time and location determined by Washington. The issue escalated when US President Donald...
TroibNews 
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accused Iran of supplying arms to Houthi fighters in Yemen, issuing a warning that Tehran will face repercussions at a time and location determined by Washington.
The issue escalated when US President Donald Trump initiated a comprehensive air and naval strike campaign against the Houthis in March, with the stated objective of safeguarding shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis, labeled as “Iran-backed” by Washington, had been attacking commercial vessels near Yemen’s coast as part of a strategy to exert pressure on Israel regarding its military operations in Gaza.
In a message directed at Tehran on social media platform X, Hegseth stated, “We see your lethal support to the Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing.” He added, “You know very well what the US military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the consequence at the time and place of our choosing.”
The Pentagon chief also shared a screenshot of a mid-March post from Trump on his Truth Social platform, where Trump claimed that Iran was “dictating every move” made by the Houthis and supplying them with weapons, funds, and intelligence. He remarked, “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran.”
Tehran has firmly rejected Washington’s assertions that it directs the actions of the Yemeni group. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami stated that “Ansar Allah, as the representative of the Yemenis, makes its own strategic decisions, and Iran has no role in setting the national or operational policies of any movement in the resistance front,” following the initiation of the US bombing campaign.
The most recent American airstrikes on Yemen occurred on Tuesday, with British aircraft participating for the first time. The Royal Air Force reported that these strikes targeted Houthi drone-manufacturing facilities located south of the capital, Sanaa.
On Monday, the US Navy announced the loss of an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, which fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. Multiple media outlets indicated that this incident occurred while the carrier was maneuvering to avoid a missile attack from Yemen.
Additionally, Houthi-aligned broadcaster Al Masirah reported that a US strike hit a migrant detention center in Sanaa, resulting in at least 68 African refugees killed and many more injured. A US defense official acknowledged awareness of the claims regarding civilian casualties.
In related diplomatic developments, during a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “emphasized the need for an immediate cessation of the use of force and the importance for all parties to engage in political dialogue aimed at finding a solution that excludes further bloodshed,” according to Moscow's readout.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
The issue escalated when US President Donald Trump initiated a comprehensive air and naval strike campaign against the Houthis in March, with the stated objective of safeguarding shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthis, labeled as “Iran-backed” by Washington, had been attacking commercial vessels near Yemen’s coast as part of a strategy to exert pressure on Israel regarding its military operations in Gaza.
In a message directed at Tehran on social media platform X, Hegseth stated, “We see your lethal support to the Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing.” He added, “You know very well what the US military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the consequence at the time and place of our choosing.”
The Pentagon chief also shared a screenshot of a mid-March post from Trump on his Truth Social platform, where Trump claimed that Iran was “dictating every move” made by the Houthis and supplying them with weapons, funds, and intelligence. He remarked, “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran.”
Tehran has firmly rejected Washington’s assertions that it directs the actions of the Yemeni group. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Hossein Salami stated that “Ansar Allah, as the representative of the Yemenis, makes its own strategic decisions, and Iran has no role in setting the national or operational policies of any movement in the resistance front,” following the initiation of the US bombing campaign.
The most recent American airstrikes on Yemen occurred on Tuesday, with British aircraft participating for the first time. The Royal Air Force reported that these strikes targeted Houthi drone-manufacturing facilities located south of the capital, Sanaa.
On Monday, the US Navy announced the loss of an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet, which fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. Multiple media outlets indicated that this incident occurred while the carrier was maneuvering to avoid a missile attack from Yemen.
Additionally, Houthi-aligned broadcaster Al Masirah reported that a US strike hit a migrant detention center in Sanaa, resulting in at least 68 African refugees killed and many more injured. A US defense official acknowledged awareness of the claims regarding civilian casualties.
In related diplomatic developments, during a phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov “emphasized the need for an immediate cessation of the use of force and the importance for all parties to engage in political dialogue aimed at finding a solution that excludes further bloodshed,” according to Moscow's readout.
Lucas Dupont for TROIB News
