US military strikes on Yemen’s Houthi militants will be “unrelenting” until the group stops shooting at civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said on Sunday, a day after President Donald Trump ordered new operations in the Middle East.

Houthi rebels say they have attacked a US aircraft carrier in the Red Sea in retaliation against Donald Trump-ordered airstrikes targeting the militants in Yemen. In a new statement, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said they will "meet escalation with escalation" after US strikes left at least 31 dead on Saturday.

The United States and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen are both vowing escalation after the U.S. launched airstrikes to deter the rebels from attacking military and commercial vessels on one of