Hegseth Warns Iran Will ‘Pay the Consequence’ for Backing Yemen’s Houthis

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Wednesday warned Iran it faces serious military consequences for supporting the Houthis.

The U.S. operation against the Houthis in Yemen, dubbed Operation Rough Rider, has been targeting the terrorists as the Trump administration negotiates with Iran over its nuclear program.

In an April 30 social media post, Hegseth wrote, “Message to IRAN: We see your lethal support to The Houthis. We know exactly what you are doing. 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 United States and Iran are set to reconvene for talks in Rome on Saturday. Mediated by the Gulf state of Oman, the talks are aimed at sealing a deal that would block Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon while lifting economic sanctions imposed by Washington.

The United States and Iran have so far held three rounds of indirect talks.

The United States is conducting strikes on Yemen from two aircraft carriers in the region, the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea.

It is targeting the Iranian-backed Houthis because of the group’s attacks on Israel and shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route.

On April 27, the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) said that since the start of Operation Rough Rider, it had struck more than 800 targets.

Yemen’s government has also been battling against the Houthis, who have taken control of portions of Yemen in recent years. Just south of Saudi Arabia, Yemen sits on the Gulf of Aden and has a population of about 39 million.

The Houthis, who are supportive of Hamas in Gaza, have stated that they attack ships connected to Israel.

Iran has supplied drones and drone technology to its allies in the so-called Axis of Resistance, which includes the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Both have used drones against Israel, although the Houthis have tended to target shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandab Strait.

In March, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Hossein Salami, denied that the Iranian regime is involved in any of the Houthi attacks on shipping vessels and said the regime “plays no role in setting” policies of groups that it is allied with in the Middle East.

In remarks published by state-run Tasnim News, he said: “I warn all enemies that any threat being carried out [against Iran] will draw a tough, decisive, and devastating reaction.”

The UK’s Royal Air Force launched airstrikes in conjunction with the United States against Yemen’s Houthis, British officials said on April 30.

It was the UK’s first involvement with the United States’ new and intensified campaign targeting the group.

The UK’s Ministry of Defence described the site that was targeted as “a cluster of buildings, used by the terrorists to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, located some 15 miles south of Sanaa.”

The defense ministry said in a statement: “Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, with air refuelling support from Voyager tankers, therefore engaged a number of these buildings using Paveway IV precision guided bombs, once very careful planning had been completed to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure.

“The strike was conducted after dark, when the likelihood of any civilians being in the area was reduced yet further.”

In a statement posted on social media, British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said, “We conducted these strikes, supported by the US, to degrade Houthi capabilities and prevent further attacks against UK and international shipping.”

Healey said the action was taken in response to a “persistent threat” from the Houthis to freedom of navigation.