The US strategy to weaken the Yemeni armed group’s abilities will be “relentless,” according to spokesman Sean Parnell.
The Pentagon’s new spokesman, Sean Parnell, stated during his initial briefing that Washington will persist in striking Houthi militants until they cease attacking US Navy ships safeguarding commercial vessels off the Yemeni coast.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump cautioned the Houthis of “powerful military action” with the aim of reestablishing freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Since October 2023, the Ansar Allah movement, more commonly known as the Houthis, has launched numerous drones and missiles at commercial vessels bound for Israel off the coast of Yemen, thereby disrupting crucial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The group has stated that its actions are in support of the Palestinians amidst Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
During his briefing on Monday, Parnell asserted that the US will continue to employ “overwhelming, lethal force” against the Houthis until they cease targeting American warships. He attributed a total of 170 attacks against US Navy ships and 145 against commercial vessels to the group.
“There is a very clear end-state to this operation, and that begins the moment that the Houthis pledge to stop attacking our ships and putting American lives at risk,” he said.
The spokesman emphasized that the Yemeni militants “could stop this tomorrow… but they have clearly chosen not to do that.” Consequently, the US “campaign will be relentless to degrade their capability,” Parnell warned.
Air Force Lieutenant General Alexus Grynkewich, director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, mentioned during the same briefing that the “initial wave” of US strikes had impacted over 30 targets at various locations within Yemen, including training facilities, drone infrastructure, arms depots, and command-and-control centers.
On Monday, Trump alleged that the Houthi attacks “emanate from, and are created by, Iran,” cautioning that, moving forward, Washington would regard every shot fired by the Yemeni group as if it were fired by Tehran. “Iran will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire,” the president posted on his Truth Social platform.
Tehran, which has consistently denied any involvement in the Houthis’ operations, denounced the US bombing of Yemen as a blatant violation of the UN Charter and a significant threat to regional and international peace and security.
The Houthis stated the same day that, despite the US strikes, they will persist in targeting vessels off the Yemeni coast “until aid and basic needs are delivered to the Gaza Strip.”