Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Warns Houthis and Iran: “We Will Be Unrelenting”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth appeared on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo to discuss the U.S. airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels and the administration’s strategy to restore deterrence and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
“An era of peace through strength is back,” Hegseth declared, signaling a sharp departure from the previous administration’s approach to military engagement.
Restoring Deterrence Against the Houthis
Hegseth emphasized that the Biden administration’s failure to act decisively had emboldened the Houthis, allowing them to attack commercial and U.S. military vessels over 100 times without facing real consequences.
“We are sitting on four years of deferred maintenance from Joe Biden. The Houthis were allowed to shoot at U.S. ships and commercial shipping repeatedly. That ends now.”
He then issued a stern warning to the Houthis, making it clear that U.S. military action would not stop until the attacks ceased:
“This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence. The minute the Houthis say, ‘We will stop shooting at your ships, we will stop shooting at your drones,’ this campaign will end. But until then, it will be unrelenting.”
Message to Iran: Stay Out
Hegseth also put Iran on notice, warning Tehran against providing further support to Houthi forces.
“We will not be nice about it. This is not the Biden administration. The message is clear: We will come after the Houthis until they stop shooting at our ships, and the Iranians better stay out of it.”
Economic Consequences of Houthi Aggression
Bartiromo highlighted the economic ripple effects caused by the Houthis’ actions, as commercial ships began avoiding the Red Sea out of fear, choosing longer, more costly routes around the Horn of Africa instead.
“Many commercial ships were afraid to even go into that route in the Red Sea. They were going around the Horn, and it was costing much more money,” Bartiromo noted.
Hegseth reinforced the economic stakes, explaining that global commerce cannot be held hostage by terrorists:
“The President understands that. Global shipping, global commerce—when it’s threatened by pirates and piracy—you have to divert, adding weeks to travel and millions, eventually billions, in costs.”
“We are squeezing them economically, we are pounding them militarily,” Hegseth added. “This will continue until they stop attacking ships.”
Protecting U.S. Interests
Hegseth clarified that the U.S. mission is not about interfering in Yemen’s internal conflicts but about protecting American and allied interests from state-sponsored terrorism and maritime disruption.
📹 Watch:
Today exclusively on Sunday Futures, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth discussed U.S. airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthis and the administration’s commitment to restoring deterrence.
🔗 @SundayFutures | @MariaBartiromo | @FoxNews
Conclusion: A New Era of Strength
With the Trump administration ramping up military action, the Houthis and Iran are now facing serious consequences for their aggression. The question remains: Will they back down, or will this campaign escalate further?
