Hegseth warns Iran ‘will pay consequence’ of supporting Houthis
The US has been conducting strikes targeting the rebels in Yemen since March 15.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened Iran “will pay the consequence” of supporting Houthi rebels in Yemen.
The US has been conducting strikes targeting rebels since March 15, while the British military confirmed on Wednesday it had launched an attack against the group.
The strikes have drawn controversy in the United States over Mr Hegseth’s use of the unclassified Signal messaging app to post sensitive details about the attacks.
Early on Thursday, he directly threatened Iran in a message on the social platform X.
“Message to IRAN: We see your LETHAL support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing,” he wrote.
“You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of — and you were warned. You will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing.”
The US is conducting strikes on Yemen from its two aircraft carriers in the region — the USS Harry S Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea, targeting the Houthis because of the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on Israel.
The UK Defence Ministry described the site attacked as “a cluster of buildings, used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some 15 miles (25 kilometres) south of Sanaa.”
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s took part in the raid, dropping Paveway IV guided bombs, the ministry added.
“The strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further,” the ministry said.
The Houthis reported several strikes around Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, which the group has held since 2014. Other strikes hit around Saada.
The joint UK-US strike follows an alleged US airstrike on Monday which hit a prison holding African migrants, killing at least 68 people and wounding 47 others. The US military said it was investigating.
On April 18, an American strike on the Ras Isa fuel port killed at least 74 people and wounded 171 others in the deadliest known attack of the US campaign.
The Houthis are the last militant group in Iran’s self-described Axis of Resistance that is capable of regularly attacking Israel. The rebels began their attacks over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip and the Israeli decision to block the flow of aid to Palestinians.
