'We don’t care': Pete Hegseth doesn't mince words about US strikes on Houthi terror group in Yemen

The strike also marks a shift in US policy toward the Houthis.

PUBLISHED MAR 17, 2025

According to Hegseth, the campaign will continue until the Houthis cease their attacks.

Washington, D.C.: The US military has launched major strikes against Houthi forces in Yemen, marking the first major military action of the second Trump administration.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation during an interview on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo. Hegseth stated that the strike was necessary after years of inaction under the previous administration, citing over 100 attacks on US and commercial ships by the Houthis.

“Just like in his first term, President Trump had to deal with the weakness of President Obama and get rid of ISIS… we’re sitting on four years of deferred maintenance from Joe Biden,” he said.

Yemen's Houthi forces ride a vehicle next to a large screen broadcasting an attack of Yemen's Houthis targeted a US battleship in the Red Sea, on February 14, 2025, in Sana'a, Yemen.

According to Hegseth, the campaign will continue until the Houthis cease their attacks. “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.” He described the initial strike as a powerful show of force, with “dozens and dozens of precision heavy munitions” hitting key targets in the Houthi-controlled capital.

The operation also sends a warning to Iran, which the US accuses of backing the Houthis. President Trump, in a statement on Truth Social, made it clear that Iran must halt its support for the group or face consequences.

“We will hold you accountable as the sponsor of this proxy,” Hegseth reiterated, adding, “This is not the Biden demonstration. The message is clear.”

Bartiromo noted that commercial shipping has been rerouted around the Horn of Africa due to security concerns, increasing transportation costs and raising oil prices. Hegseth acknowledged these concerns, emphasizing that the Trump administration is committed to restoring stability in the region.

The strike also marks a shift in US policy toward the Houthis. Hegseth criticized the Biden administration for removing the group’s foreign terrorist organization (FTO) designation, a move President Trump has now reversed.

“We’re squeezing them economically. We are pounding them militarily,” he said, making it clear that this is not a limited engagement but an ongoing campaign to eliminate threats to US and allied interests.

Hegseth concluded by reaffirming the administration’s focus: “We don’t care what happens in the Yemeni civil war. This is about stopping the shooting at assets in that critical waterway to reopen freedom of navigation.”