US Defense Minister Reminds Iran Fatal Consequences For Supporting Houthis

US/ILUSTRASI military/PHOTO via Instagram @usairforce

JAKARTA - United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Iran would face consequences for supporting Yemen's Houthis.

The United States and Iran have so far held three rounds of indirect negotiations, mediated by Gulf Oman countries.

Negotiations aim to reach an agreement that would deter Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons but also lift the crippling economic sanctions imposed by Washington.

The two sides will meet again in Rome on Saturday.

"Mesan untuk IRAN: Kami melihat dukungan mematiKAN Anda terhadap Houthi. Kami tahu tepat apa yang Anda lakukan," tulis Hegseth di X dilansir Reuters, Kamis 1 Mei.

"You know very well what the US Military is capable of and you have been warned. You will pay for the CONSEQUENCES at the time and place we choose," he continued.

Hegseth, on his personal X account, then reposted Trump's message on Truth Social from March in which the president said he would hold Iran accountable for the attacks carried out by the Houthis.

Iranian leaders previously said Yemen's Houthis acted independently.

The group controls northern Yemen and has attacked ships in the Red Sea in what they say is solidarity with Palestine.

The United States has launched attacks on more than 1,000 targets since raising attacks on the group in March.

The US military has stepped up military combat equipment in recent weeks to strengthen the Middle East.

The Pentagon has deployed six B-2 bombers to the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean - which experts say is the ideal position to operate in the Middle East.

In addition, the US currently owns two aircraft carriers in the Middle East and has moved the air defense system from Asia to the region.

Although Tehran and Washington say they are determined to pursue a diplomatic path, they are far from a deal in a dispute that has lasted for more than two decades.

Trump, in an interview with Time magazine earlier this month, said "I think we will make a deal with Iran", but he repeated the threat of military action against Iran if diplomacy fails.