US Defense Secretary Vows Continued Strikes on Houthis Until Shipping Attacks Stop

The US will keep attacking Yemeni Houthis until they cease attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, Reuters reported, quoting US defense secretary Pete Hegseth as saying on Sunday, amid the Iran-aligned group’s indication that it could escalate in response to the deadly American strikes a day before that claimed at least 31 lives.

The airstrikes, the report said, are the biggest US military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January.

Meanwhile, a US official told Reuters that the campaign could continue for weeks.

“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 unrelenting,” Hegseth told Fox News.

“This is about stopping the shooting at assets … in that critical waterway, to reopen freedom of navigation, which is a core national interest of the United States, and Iran has been enabling the Houthis for far too long,” he reportedly said, adding, “They better back off.”

The Houthi political bureau has condemned the US airstrikes, calling them a “war crime,” and warned that they would respond to further escalation with more attacks. In a statement, the group said it was ready to “meet escalation with escalation,” signalling a prolonged conflict.

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