On Wednesday night, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth threatened Iran over Tehran’s alleged support for the Houthis amid the US’s heavy Yemen bombing campaign.
“Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,” Hegseth wrote on X.
“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,” he added.
While the Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, are aligned with Iran, the Yemeni group has its own domestic missile and drone program, meaning they’re not reliant on Tehran for military support. This has been acknowledged by US officials, including President Trump.
“They’re experts on missiles. I mean, they actually make missiles. Nobody thought that, but they make missiles. It’s highly sophisticated,” President Trump said during an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in early April.
The Houthis also operate independently and aren’t likely to take orders from Tehran. Despite these facts, the Trump administration has been blaming Iran for the Houthis’ operations, and Hegseth’s threat comes after a month and a half of US airstrikes on Yemen have failed to deter Ansar Allah. The US has launched over 1,000 strikes on Yemen, killing more than 200 civilians, but the Houthis continue to launch attacks on Israel and on US warships.
Ansar Allah leaders have repeatedly vowed they will only stop attacks on Israel and end their blockade on Israeli shipping if a ceasefire is reached in Gaza. They have offered to stop attacking US warships if the US stops bombing Yemen, but the Trump administration has shown no interest in the offer.
Hegseth’s threat doesn’t bode well for the negotiations between the US and Iran, and the fourth round that was supposed to be held this Saturday has reportedly been delayed.
