According to Pete Hegseth, Tehran is fully aware of the US military’s capabilities.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has accused Iran of providing weapons to Houthi rebels in Yemen. He warned that the US will retaliate against Tehran at a time and place of its choosing.
In March, US President Donald Trump initiated a large-scale air and sea offensive against the Houthis, with the stated aim of safeguarding Red Sea shipping. Washington describes the group as “Iran-backed” and claims they have been attacking commercial ships off the Yemeni coast to pressure Israel over its Gaza operation.
In a message posted on X on Thursday, Hegseth addressed Tehran, stating: “We are aware of your deadly support for the Houthis. We know precisely what you are doing.”
“You are well aware of the US military’s capabilities, and you have been warned. You will face the consequences when and where we decide,” he wrote.
The Pentagon chief also shared a screenshot of a mid-March post by Trump on Truth Social. In it, Trump asserted that Iran is “dictating every move” of the Houthis and supplying them with weapons, funds, and intelligence. “From this point forward, every shot fired by the Houthis will be regarded as a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of Iran,” Trump wrote.
Tehran has consistently denied Washington’s accusations of directing the Yemeni group’s actions.
Following the US bombing campaign’s launch, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Commander Hossein Salami stated, “Ansar Allah (the Houthis), as the representative of the Yemenis, makes its own strategic decisions, and Iran does not dictate the national or operational policies of any resistance movement.”
The most recent US strikes on Yemen, which included British aircraft for the first time, occurred on Tuesday. The Royal Air Force reported that the strikes targeted Houthi drone-manufacturing facilities south of Sanaa, the country’s capital.
On Monday, the US Navy reported that its F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet was lost after falling from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea. Multiple media outlets reported that the incident occurred as the vessel maneuvered to avoid a missile attack from Yemen.
“`