US, Egypt discuss importance of Red Sea security

​​​​​​​By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - The US and Egypt discussed the importance of Red Sea security as attacks by the Houthi group continue, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

US defense chief Pete Hegseth called his Egyptian counterpart, Gen. Abd-al-Majid Ahmad Saqr to affirm the "strong partnership" between the two countries and to discuss opportunities to advance shared interests, the Pentagon said in a statement.

They also exchanged views on "the reckless actions of the Houthis, which has negatively impacted the Suez Canal and the global economy," it added.

Hegseth told reporters Monday that it has been a "bad three weeks" for the Houthis and "it’s about to get worse."

Describing the military campaign against the Houthis as "devastating," he said the US is not going to relent.

"We are going to be very clear about the Iranians as well -- they should not continue to provide support to the Houthis, and that message has been made clear," he added.

The US intensified airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen in recent days at an unprecedented rate, resulting in casualties and property damage, according to the group.

Last month, Trump said he had ordered "decisive and powerful military action" against the Houthis and later threatened to "completely annihilate them."

The Houthis have targeted ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has killed more than 50,700 victims in a brutal onslaught.

The campaign of airstrikes started after the group threatened to resume targeting ships because of Israel's blocking aid from entering Gaza.