Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth provided updates on the military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, signaling the armed terror group was getting shelled and things were only about to intensify.

Hegseth made the comments during President Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Pentagon chief indicated that the United States military would continue to protect American interests in the region and would only relent if the Iran-backed proxy group ceased firing upon American ships.

“It’s been a bad three weeks for the Houthis, and it’s about to get worse,” Hegseth told reporters. “It’s been a devastating campaign whether it’s underground facilities, weapons manufacturing, bunkers, troops in the open, air defense assets.”

“We are not gonna relent, and it’s only to get more unrelenting until the Houthis declare they will stop shooting at our ships. And we’ve been very clear with the Iranians as well, they should not continue to provide support to the Houthis, and that message has been made very clear,” he added.

.@SecDef: “It has been a bad three weeks for the Houthis. It’s about to get worse.” pic.twitter.com/En7kAI8nH1

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 7, 2025

The Houthis have been attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea for several years but engaged in a noted escalation following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023.

The Biden administration responded by increasing the U.S. naval presence in the region. Under the Trump administration, there has been an increased effort to restore freedom of movement within one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes.

Jennifer Griffin, the Chief National Security Correspondent for Fox News, has repeatedly criticized the Pentagon for the operation under the guise of fiscal concerns. While Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) expressed outrage that the terror group had been a target.