Hegseth Leads Major Deterrence Operation Against Houthis

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is leading a major operation aimed at debilitating the Houthis, an Iran-backed Yemeni terror group that has been targeting US, Israeli, and allies’ ships since Hamas’ October 7th, 2023 attacks. 

Houthi forces have executed daily drone and missile attacks against US military and commercial ships and have recently increasingly directly attacked Israel’s civilian population.

President Donald Trump, who designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) after former President Joe Biden repealed the designation, ordered the operation late last week, with the US executing its first strikes against Houthi targets on March 15th. 

Since then, US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces have relentlessly struck Houthi targets across Yemen. 

"The minute the Houthis say, 'We'll stop shooting at your ships [and] we'll stop shooting at your drones,' this campaign will end but, until then, it will be unrelenting," said Secretary Hegseth. 

Hegseth had recently foreshadowed the Trump administration would expand military action against the Houthis and other Iran-backed terror groups.

Iran’s network of Islamic terrorist groups throughout the Middle East, colloquially known as Iran’s axis of evil, includes groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis, and ISIS. 

Following Hamas’ brutal October 7th attacks, Hezbollah and the Houthis began similarly attacking Israel through the north and the east. 

Hezbollah attacked civilian residential communities in northern Israel while the Houthis struck and stormed commercial ships associated with Israel and its allies. 

“Iran has been enabling the Houthis for far too long….they better back off,” warned Hegseth. 

Besides the military strikes, the US also imposed financial pressure on the Houthis as Treasury Department Secretary Scott Bessent recently announced sanctions against Houthi leadership for illicit weapons transactions.

According to Secretary Bessent, Houthi leadership has facilitated illegal weapons purchases from Russia and recruited Yemeni civilians to fight for Russia in its war against Ukraine. 

“By seeking weapons from a growing array of international suppliers, Houthi leaders have shown their intent to continue their reckless and destabilizing actions in the Red Sea region,” said Bessent. 

The Floridian Press has been covering the US-Houthi saga, offering daily updates on military, financial, and diplomatic developments.