Hegseth Warns Houthi Rebels of ‘Unrelenting’ Response to Shooting at Ships [WATCH]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Sunday that the Trump administration is committed to an “unrelenting” military campaign against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen if they continue their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Speaking with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, Hegseth reinforced President Donald Trump’s stance on defending American interests and restoring security in international waters.

Hegseth’s remarks came after U.S. forces carried out a series of heavy attacks on Saturday, targeting Houthi militants and damaging their infrastructure.

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The strikes were ordered by President Trump following repeated Houthi assaults on U.S. ships and commercial vessels in the region.

“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 Bartiromo.

Following the latest wave of strikes, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement detailing the mission’s objectives.

“U.S. Central Command initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation,” the statement read.

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Hegseth emphasized that the administration is focused on ensuring the security of global shipping lanes.

“We’re making it very clear that this campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence,” he said.

Hegseth directly accused Iran of financing and supporting Houthi militants, warning that the Trump administration will not allow continued destabilization in the region.

“We’re sitting on four years of deferred maintenance from Joe Biden,” Hegseth said, referring to what he described as the previous administration’s failure to act decisively.

“When you talk about the Houthis, they were allowed over 100 times to shoot at U.S. ships, to shoot at commercial shipping. Four months ago, when we sent a ship through, it was shot at 17 times. Ships haven’t been able to go through for over a year without being shot at.”

Hegseth reaffirmed that Trump’s administration is taking a firm stand, calling freedom of navigation a “core national interest.”

“An era of peace through strength is back,” Hegseth said, echoing President Trump’s longstanding foreign policy philosophy.

Iran has been enabling the Houthis for far too long….they better back off. pic.twitter.com/3NhVFKtvIK

— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) March 16, 2025

The latest military action signals a clear shift in U.S. policy under Trump’s leadership.

The administration has taken a decisive approach in confronting Iran-backed threats, moving away from what officials have described as weak responses under the previous administration.

With Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforcing America’s position, the message to adversaries is clear: continued aggression will come at a high cost.

The Trump administration has vowed to protect American assets, international trade routes, and national security through decisive military action—a strategy that stands in stark contrast to the approach taken in previous years.

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