US Official: "US Will Continue Airstrikes Until Houthi's Ability to Attack Commercial Ships Is Eliminated"

The U.S. government has confirmed its intention to continue airstrikes against the Iran-aligned Houthi rebel forces in Yemen until they lose the capability to attack vessels passing near the Red Sea.

John Finer, Deputy National Security Advisor at the White House, said in an interview with ABC News on the 21st (local time) that when asked how long the airstrikes against the Houthis would continue, "Our goal is to go beyond deterrence and degrade the Houthis' ability to carry out such attacks," responding accordingly.

He stated, "The Houthis have stockpiled advanced weapons, many of which were provided by Iran," adding, "Over time, we are destroying the weapons they have stockpiled so that they cannot carry out attacks as frequently as they do now, and it will take time for this to show effect."

Regarding why the U.S. does not take direct military action against Iran, which supports the Houthis, he cited past U.S. airstrikes on facilities linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Iraq and Syria, saying, "We have not hesitated to act to hold Iran accountable for such attacks in the past."

He also assessed the recent incident in Iraq where Iran-aligned militias attacked a U.S. military base, injuring at least two U.S. soldiers, as "a very serious attack using ballistic missiles and a genuine threat." He continued, "The U.S. has demonstrated in the past, when such attacks occurred in Iraq and Syria, that it will respond if it deems it necessary to reestablish deterrence and hold groups that continue to attack us accountable."

Deputy Advisor Finer added, "We will not get ahead of the decisions the President can make," but also warned of additional responses, saying, "I can assure you that we take this attack very seriously, and there will be more news to share soon."