Pentagon director threatens Iran
(MENAFN) US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued a stern warning to Iran, accusing it of supplying weapons and intelligence to Yemen’s Houthi rebels and promising that Tehran will face consequences “at a time and place of our choosing.” The warning comes amid a US-led military campaign launched in March by President Donald Trump targeting Houthi positions in Yemen, aimed at safeguarding maritime traffic in the Red Sea.
The Houthis have attacked commercial ships in response to Israel’s military actions in Gaza, prompting the US and UK to conduct joint airstrikes on Houthi drone production sites near Sanaa earlier this week. Hegseth reiterated Washington’s stance on Thursday via a post on X, stating that the US is fully aware of Iran’s “lethal support” to the Yemeni group.
He also referenced a March statement from Trump, which blamed Iran for orchestrating Houthi operations and warned that any Houthi aggression would be seen as coming directly from Iran. Despite these claims, Iranian officials have denied directing Houthi actions. IRGC Commander Hossein Salami asserted that the Houthis act independently and Iran does not dictate their strategies or policies.
The conflict escalated further on Monday, when a US Navy jet fell overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman while evading a missile launched from Yemen, and a US airstrike reportedly hit a migrant detention center in Sanaa, killing at least 68 African refugees. The Pentagon acknowledged awareness of the reported civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, Russia has urged a de-escalation, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov telling US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in March that a political solution should be prioritized to avoid further violence.
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