Pentagon vows to ramp up Houthi strikes as Trump pursues Iran talks
US stealth B-2 bombers began striking Houthi facilities in Yemen last week as the Trump administration hastens to pressure Iran into coming to the negotiating table before Israel's military can take matters into its own hands.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon's top official suggested the United States will turn up its airstrikes on Yemen in the coming days, as President Donald Trump claimed his administration would enter into direct negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program.
"We've put a major hurt on the Houthis, which nobody's been able to do," Trump said alongside Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the Oval Office on Monday.
"We've really hit them hard," Trump said, "night after night, and we've gotten many of their leaders and their experts. They're experts on missiles. I mean, they actually make missiles. Nobody thought that, but they make missiles. It's highly sophisticated."
What they're saying: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, seated in front of the president, backed up his comments. "It's been a bad three weeks for the Houthis, and it's about to get worse," Hegseth said.
