In a powerful appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth joined Maria Bartiromo to discuss the recent strategic air strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Hegseth declared, “An era of peace through strength is back,” highlighting the shift in U.S. defense policy under the current administration.
Hegseth took a strong stance, blaming the previous administration for its lax policies. “We are sitting on four years of deferred maintenance from Joe Biden,” he criticized, noting over one hundred unprovoked attacks on U.S. and commercial ships by the Houthis during that period.
The Secretary issued a direct warning to the Houthis, emphasizing the campaign’s focus on securing freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence. “This campaign is about freedom of navigation and restoring deterrence. The minute the Houthis say, we will stop shooting at your ships, we will stop shooting at your drones, this campaign will end, but until then, it will be unrelenting,” he stated firmly.
Hegseth also sent a clear message to Iran, urging them not to interfere. “We will not be nice about it. This is not the Biden administration. The message is clear. We will come after the Houthis until they stop shooting at our ships and the Iranians better stay out of it,” he warned.
Maria Bartiromo underscored the broader implications, noting the economic impact of shipping routes being diverted due to security fears. “What ended up happening from an economic perspective as well, many commercial ships were afraid to even go into that route in the Red Sea. They were going around the horn and it was costing much more money,” she explained.
Hegseth concurred, “It’s not just a national security issue, but an economic one as well,” emphasizing the global impact of the Houthi threat. He added, “The President understands that. Global shipping, global commerce, when it’s threatened by effectively pirates and piracy, and you have to divert, and go an extra two weeks, costing millions and then eventually billions of dollars, you are being held hostage by a terrorist organization.”
He reinforced the ongoing commitment to protect American interests, “We are squeezing them economically, we are pounding them militarily.” The campaign will persist until the Houthis cease their hostile actions, highlighting the administration’s resolve to defend national interests.
Watch the full interview below:
Today exclusively on @SundayFutures with @MariaBartiromo, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth @SecDef @PeteHegseth spoke about the U.S. launching airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthis. @FoxNews
— Sunday Morning Futures (@SundayFutures)
February 18, 2025
