U.S. Department of Defense:
"We Will Use Overwhelming Force Against the Houthis Until Our Objectives Are Achieved"
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that if the Houthi rebels continue attacks against U.S. forces, Iran, which supports the Houthis, will be held responsible.
On the 17th (local time), President Trump posted on the social media platform Truth Social, stating, "From now on, all (missile) launches by the Houthis targeting U.S. forces will be considered as launched by the Iranian leadership."
President Trump emphasized, "Iran will be held accountable for the Houthis' attacks against the U.S., and the consequences will be severe." He further warned the Houthis that they "will face overwhelming force" and added, "It is uncertain at what point the use of U.S. military force will stop."
Sean Parnell, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, also stated during a briefing that day, "We will use overwhelming force until our objectives are achieved," and added, "The final phase of this operation begins when the Houthis declare that they will cease attacking U.S. vessels and endangering Americans."
Parnell clarified, "This is not about regime change in the Middle East." When asked about the possibility of using force against Iran, he said, "President Trump's message is very clear. All options are currently on the table."
The U.S. Department of Defense announced that on the 15th, it struck more than 30 targets including terrorist training sites and unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure in the Houthi airstrikes, and that the operation will continue over the coming days. Regarding Houthi resistance during the airstrikes, it assessed that the attacks missed by over 100 miles (approximately 160 km) and could not be considered a counterattack.
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