The US national security advisor, Mike Waltz, stated on Sunday that the United States could target Iranian goals in Yemen as part of its military campaign against the Huthi.
President Trump had ordered airstrikes in Yemen on Saturday, resulting in the reported deaths of at least 31 people, according to the Huthi. Waltz emphasized that the US is prepared to strike not only the Huthi, but also targets directly connected to Iran.
Among the potential targets are Iranian ships near the Yemeni coast, which the Huthi use for gathering information, as well as Iranian military trainers and “other things they have used to help the Huthi attack the world economy.”
Trump sent a letter to the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ali Chamenei, last week, proposing negotiations on a new nuclear agreement. US officials said Trump wants the agreement to include restrictions on Iran’s support for regional militias, such as the Huthi.
Chamenei described Trump’s proposal as “deception” and emphasized that Iran will not agree to any restrictions on its relations with other groups in the region. Iran also condemned the US airstrikes in Yemen.
Waltz stated in the ABC program This Week that all options are on the table to ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons. He emphasized that Tehran must “give up and abandon” all elements of its nuclear program, including rockets, weapons and uranium enrichment, “or it must reckon with a whole range of other consequences.” Waltz added that “Iran has been offered a way out of this situation.”
Chamenei, who has the final say in all state matters, has already stated that talks with the US would not solve the problems between Iran and the West. He criticized the pressure for talks in public opinion as a means of coercing Iran, saying, “This is not a negotiating offer. It is an order to surrender.