Pompeo: Trump Ends Terrorist Impunity, Strikes Iran’s Proxies To Protect American Trade

In a bold move focused on fundamentally restoring deterrence against Iran and its terrorist proxies and securing shipping lanes, President Trump ordered strikes against the Houthis in Yemen this week.

This action is a step in the right direction toward eliminating threats to America’s global shipping network and countering Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region.

Under President Biden, American vessels carrying consumer goods and agricultural exports were harassed, attacked, and forced to reroute around Africa to avoid Houthi attacks. The Houthis have attacked American warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023. These attacks were the result of the Biden Administration’s reckless policy of appeasement toward Iran and its inability to take decisive action against terrorist organizations. Thankfully, President Trump has demonstrated a renewed commitment to eliminating terrorists who threaten America and to protecting the free flow of commerce around the globe.

The United States’ ability to secure critical maritime chokepoints and restore safety for international shipping lanes will have a far-reaching impact, safeguard global energy markets, and increase essential trade for America and its allies.

The targeted strikes against the Houthis also demonstrate to Iran and its other terror organizations around the world that attacking America has real consequences. Iran’s malign influence extends throughout the region, and they have continued to provide sophisticated weaponry, training, and financial support to not only the Houthis, but Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and numerous militias throughout Syria and Iraq. 

Over the last four years, these terror groups have acted with impunity and conducted large scale attacks against Israel, America, and other nations throughout the region. The Biden Administration’s approach to the problem was to roll over, and its appeasement went as far as removing the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization in 2021.  In return, the Houthis used our ships for target practice in the Red Sea.  Biden’s weakness invited these attacks.

Today, we are seeing the beginning of an era of peace and the return of deterrence in the Middle East. Those who would attack America should take President Trump at his word and see his action not as a one-off strike but a restoration of American power and deterrence. If you are an enemy of America, “We will find you and we will kill you.”  Peace through strength is a welcome return to United States foreign policy.