Secretary of State Marco Rubio Claims Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Houthis are “Benefiting the World”

Washington — Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Sunday that U.S. airstrikes in Yemen, aimed at the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, are focused on crippling the group’s capacity to target global shipping and pose a threat to U.S. military forces, calling the actions “a favor to the world.”

“We are doing a favor to the entire world by eliminating these individuals and their capability to attack global shipping. That is the objective here, and it will persist until it is achieved,” Rubio mentioned on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

President Trump declared the initiation of the strikes on Saturday, emphasizing that the U.S. would employ “overwhelming lethal force” until the Houthis halt their assaults on shipping. U.S. Central Command verified the airstrike in a social media update on Saturday and indicated readiness to continue the operations against the Houthis via air and sea for several weeks, contingent on responses from both the Houthis and Iran, a U.S. official informed CBS News.

In January, President Trump signed an executive order re-designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. While he initially designated the group as terrorists in January 2021, former President Joe Biden lifted this designation shortly after due to its impact on humanitarian aid to Yemen. However, in 2024, the Biden administration designated the group as a “Specially Designated Global Terror Group.”


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The recent strikes occurred as the Houthis, based in Yemen, have been disrupting traffic at a critical Red Sea shipping lane for months. Earlier this week, the group announced it would recommence attacks on Israeli vessels in retaliation for Israel’s blockade of aid to Gaza. While the U.S., Israel, and the United Kingdom have previously targeted Houthi-controlled regions in Yemen, Rubio emphasized that the current strikes are “not a one-off.”

“This is not merely a message,” Rubio expressed. “It is an initiative to prevent them from hindering and controlling shipping.”

According to the Secretary of State, over the past 18 months, the Houthis have “launched or targeted 174 Naval vessels of the United States,” in addition to 145 assaults on commercial shipping.

“Essentially, we are dealing with a gang of pirates, armed with guided precision anti-ship weaponry, imposing a toll in one of the most vital shipping lanes globally,” Rubio stated. “This situation is simply unsustainable.”

When queried about the duration of the campaign, Rubio indicated it would persist until the Houthis “can no longer engage in such actions.” He added that he has not received any indications of potential ground raids and believes there is “no necessity for it at this moment.”

Rubio noted that as of Saturday night, “some of the key individuals responsible for those missile launches are no longer with us,” also mentioning that “some of the facilities they utilized are no longer operational, and that will continue.”

“We will not permit individuals to remain in possession of missiles targeting the U.S. Navy,” Rubio vowed. “That will not occur. Not under President Trump.”