U.S. Central Command operations against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen on March 15, 2025. (Photo credit: CENTCOM)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East region, shared footage early on Monday morning of fighter jets taking off from aircraft carriers, amid reports of renewed strikes on targets in the port city of Hodeidah and in the Houthi-controlled northern province of Al-Jawf.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, U.S. fighter jets on Sunday shot down 11 Houthi suicide drones, none of which came close to the USS Harry S. Truman, a U.S. official told Reuters<\/em>. American forces also tracked a missile that went down off Yemen\u2019s coast and was not deemed a threat, the official said.<\/p>\nHouthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed that the terrorist organization had targeted the Truman<\/em> and its accompanying vessels in the northern Red Sea with a large number of ballistic missiles and drones.<\/p>\nHouthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed in a televised speech on Sunday to continue to escalate attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea area as long as the United States continues its operation in Yemen.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Fox News<\/em>\u2018 \u201cSunday Morning Futures\u201d program that \u201cships haven\u2019t been able to go through [the Red Sea] for over a year without being shot at. Freedom of navigation is basic, it\u2019s a core national interest, and President [Donald Trump] has said, \u2018We will restore that,\u2019 and we will be unrelenting.<\/p>\n\u201cI want to be very clear: This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence. The minute the Houthis say, \u2018We\u2019ll stop shooting at your ships, we\u2019ll stop shooting at your drones,\u2019 this campaign will end, but until then, it will be unrelenting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The message to Iran was clear as well, he continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour support of the Houthis needs to end immediately; we will hold you accountable as the sponsor of this proxy \u2026 We will come after the Houthis until they stop shooting at our ships, and the Iranians better stay out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the same time, White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said the attacks in Yemen had already successfully deterred Tehran.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hit the Houthi leadership, killing several of their key leaders last night\u2014their infrastructure, the missiles,\u201d Waltz told Fox News<\/em> in a separate interview on Sunday. He concluded, \u201cWe just hit them with overwhelming force and put Iran on notice that enough is enough.\u201d<\/p>\nSince Hamas initiated the multi-front war in the Middle East with its Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, the Houthis have fired over 100 missiles and drones at ships off Yemen\u2019s coast, sinking two and killing four sailors. Additionally, they fired more than 350 drones and missiles at Israel.<\/p>\n
The Houthis ceased their attacks with the start of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on Jan. 19. Earlier this month, the Houthis threatened to resume attacks<\/a> on \u201cany Israeli vessel\u201d in the Red Sea area in response to the faltering talks on the future of the truce.<\/p>\n
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