TRUMP TO IRAN: ‘CONSEQUENCES WILL BE DIRE!’: Under orders from President Donald Trump, the U.S. military has begun an open-ended campaign to systematically destroy the ability of Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen to disrupt international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
And on his Truth Social platform, Trump issued a pointed warning to Tehran that failure to rein in the Houthis — who have been able to continue attacks against ships since late 2023 thanks to substantial financial and military assistance from Iran — will put Iran in the crosshairs.
“Iran has played ‘the innocent victim’ of rogue terrorists from which they’ve lost control, but they haven’t lost control. They’re dictating every move, giving them the weapons, supplying them with money and highly sophisticated Military equipment, and even, so-called, ‘Intelligence,’” Trump said. “Every shot fired by the Houthis will be looked upon, from this point forward, as being a shot fired from the weapons and leadership of IRAN, and IRAN will be held responsible, and suffer the consequences, and those consequences will be dire!”
At the Pentagon, chief spokesman Sean Parnell characterized Trump’s threat to Iran as bringing “moral clarity” back to the United States of America. “We know who the enemies of this country are and the enemies of a free world are, and President Trump has put them on notice.”
WILL IRAN GIVE TRUMP WHAT HE WANTS?
‘THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE RELENTLESS’: At the first formal Pentagon briefing of the second Trump administration, Parnell was joined on the podium by Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, director of operations of the Joint Staff, who said the campaign against the Houthis began midday Saturday, and “will continue in the coming days until we achieve the president’s objectives.”
“The initial wave of strikes hit over 30 targets at multiple locations, degrading a variety of Houthi capabilities. These included terrorist training sites, unmanned aerial vehicle infrastructure, weapons manufacturing capabilities, and weapons storage facilities,” Grynkewich said, adding that initial estimates are that there were “dozens of military casualties” but “no indications of any civilian casualties.”
Grynkewich said there are several differences between this effort and the strike conducted under the Biden administration. “Just know that there is a design to the operation. There are specific effects that we’re trying to achieve. And there are specific targets that have been selected and approaches that we’re taking in order to achieve the President’s end state,” he said. “It’s a much broader set of targets.”
In addition, U.S. commanders in the region have been delegated the authority to act without having to run everything back through the Pentagon. “That allows us to achieve a tempo of operations where we can react to opportunities that we see on the battlefield in order to continue to put pressure on the Houthis,” Grynkewich said.
“The Houthis could stop this tomorrow if they said ‘we’re going to stop shooting at your people,’ but they’ve clearly chosen not to do that,” Parnell said. “And so, this campaign will be relentless to degrade their capability and to open up shipping lanes in the region and to defend our homeland.”
US STRIKES ON HOUTHIS INCLUDE ‘BROADER SET OF TARGETS’ AND FASTER ‘TEMPO OF OPERATIONS’
‘THEY MISSED BY OVER 100 MILES’: Grynkewich also put to rest wildly inaccurate reports that spread on social media yesterday that claimed a U.S. aircraft carrier had been damaged or sunk by a volley of hypersonic missiles fired by the Houthis.
“The Houthis claim to have tried to attack the Harry S. Truman. Quite frankly, it’s hard to tell because while we’re executing precision strikes, they missed by over 100 miles,” Grynkewich said. “There’s also been a number of other attempts to interdict vessels in the Red Sea using UAVs and some cruise missiles as well. All of those have been easily defeated by our fighter aircraft that are there.”
“I would question anything that they claim in the press that they’re doing or not doing. It’s very hard to tell what they are just based on their level of incompetence that they’ve demonstrated so far,” he added.
“We did get reports of the Houthis firing ballistic missiles and some one-way attack drones against U.S. forces in the region. Those attacks were largely ineffective and didn’t come anywhere near U.S. forces in the region,” Parnell said. “Firing at U.S. military personnel in the region and shooting at our ships and shooting at our drones and putting American lives at risk is not a good way to end this conflict.”
“If you shoot at American troops, there will be consequences. As President Trump and Secretary Hegseth have made clear, these actions by the Houthis will not be tolerated,” Parnell said.
TRUMP ESCALATION AGAINST HOUTHIS HAS MAJOR EFFECT ON OIL
Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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HAPPENING TODAY: TRUMP AND PUTIN TALK: The long-awaited phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin is set for later this morning. “Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Thousands of young soldiers, and others, are being killed. Each week brings 2,500 soldier deaths, from both sides, and it must end NOW. I look very much forward to the call with President Putin.”
“What’s happening in Ukraine is not good. But we’re going to see if we can work a peace agreement, or a ceasefire and peace — and I think we’ll be able to do it,” Trump told reporters during a meeting at the Kennedy Center, where he is now the self-appointed chairman of the board.
Trump’s post is the second time he has indicated that Russia and the United States have already agreed on many issues including the land that Putin would get to keep.
ZELENSKY: ‘PUTIN WHO CONTINUES TO DRAG OUT THIS WAR’: As he watches from afar, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can only hope that Trump is not giving away the store in his desperation to get Putin to sign on to the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire.
“For a week now, Putin has been unable to squeeze out ‘yes’ to the ceasefire proposal. He’s saying whatever he wants, but not what the whole world wants to hear,” Zelensky said in his nightly video address. “Every day in wartime is a matter of human lives. Now, almost a week later, it’s clear to everyone in the world — even to those who refused to acknowledge the truth for the past three years — that it is Putin who continues to drag out this war.”
“The unconditional ceasefire proposal is essentially about saving lives, allowing diplomats to work on ensuring security and a lasting peace — the proposal that Russia is ignoring,” Zelensky said. “Pressure is needed to finally make Moscow accept that their war must be brought to an end.”
PARROTING PUTIN PROPAGANDA: Trump apparently continues to take what Putin says at face value, the latest example being Putin’s claim that his forces in Kursk had a large group of Ukrainian troops surrounded and facing annihilation.
“They’re captured, essentially. They’re surrounded by Russian soldiers,” Trump said yesterday, insisting it was only his influence with Putin that saved their lives. “I believe it was if it wasn’t for me, they wouldn’t be here any longer.”
While Ukrainian forces in Kursk have had to retreat in recent days — giving up territory in the face of an advance by a much larger Russian and North Korean force — Zelensky flatly denied they were ever surrounded. “Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region. There is no encirclement of our troops,” he posted on X Saturday.
The respected Institute for the Study of War, using geolocated imagery, “has not observed confirmation of this claim,” and front-line observers say it’s inaccurate.
“The partial withdrawal — from the town of Sudzha and other villages inside Kursk — is a blow to Ukraine’s military leadership. But it is not quite the complete disaster claimed by Russian propaganda, which Donald Trump inexplicably decided to amplify in a social-media post claiming that ‘thousands’ of Ukrainian soldiers were ‘completely surrounded.’ That was never the case,” The Economist reported in a dispatch from its correspondent in Ukraine.
“There have been serious losses; the withdrawal was chaotic in parts, and Russia captured at least dozens of prisoners. However, the Ukrainians retreated relatively intact, and a sizable force still remained up to 10km inside Russia, having taken up more defensible positions on high ground. ‘Trump appears to be getting his information from Russian Instagram reels,’ one military commander says.”
HERE ARE YOUR NEW MILITARY ACADEMY BOARDS: In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump announced he’s replaced the board of visitors that oversees the U.S. military academies with friends and loyalists.
West Point: Retired Maj. Gen. David Bellavia, retired Lt. Gen. Dan Walrath, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX), Maureen Bannon, and Meghan Mobbs
Air Force Academy: Doug Nikolai, Dan Clark, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Charlie Kirk, and Dina Powell
Naval Academy: Sean Spicer, Walt Nauta, Rep. Ronnie Jackson (R-TX), former Navy SEAL Rep. Derek Van Order (R-MN), former Navy SEAL Sen. Tim Sheehy (R-MT), and Earl Ehrhart
“They will make our Country proud,” Trump said. “Congratulations to all!”
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: US strikes on Houthis include ‘broader set of targets’ and faster ‘tempo of operations’
Washington Examiner: Trump escalation against Houthis has major effect on oil
Washington Examiner: Gaza ceasefire ends as Israel launches massive wave of airstrikes
Washington Examiner: US to withdraw from body investigating Russian responsibility for Ukraine war
Washington Examiner: Mark Carney snubs Trump and courts ‘reliable allies’ in Europe
Washington Examiner: China cheers demise of Voice of America under Kari Lake
Washington Examiner: North Korea vows to ‘update and strengthen’ its nuclear capabilities
Washington Examiner: The problems complicating Trump’s plan to house immigrants at Guantanamo Bay
Washington Examiner: US Institute of Peace says DOGE ‘broke’ into its building
Washington Examiner: Serbian government accused of using ‘sonic weapon’ against protesters
Washington Examiner: Trump administration seeks new judge in deportation challenge
Washington Examiner: White House distances itself from Elon Musk’s call about impeaching judges
Washington Examiner: FDA return-to-work mandate results in ‘absolute chaos’
Washington Examiner: Trump yanks Hunter Biden’s security detail after South African vacation
Washington Examiner: Trump announces Kennedy assassination files will be released Tuesday
The Economist: Ukraine’s army escapes from Kursk by the skin of its teeth
AP: Ukraine and Russia have conditions that could affect a ceasefire. What are they willing to concede?
Defense News: Uncertainty Is the Only Constant in the Pentagon’s Budget Outlook
DefenseScoop: Hegseth Issues New Guidance on DOD Civilian Hiring Freeze
Task & Purpose: Military Recruiting Test Sites Re-Open After DOGE-Driven Cuts
AP: Taiwan defence ministry releases rare video and photos of Chinese military drones and ships
Breaking Defense: SAIC Partners with Defense Unicorns to Speed Up Software Delivery
Bloomberg: Trump’s ‘Golden Dome’ System Spurs Flood of Defense Industry Pitches
Wall Street Journal: Silicon Valley Invests in Israeli Startups in Bid for US Defense Market
Air & Space Forces Magazine: F-22 Pilot Swaps in for Guardian at International Space Station
The War Zone: China’s J-36 Tailless Stealth Fighter Seen Flying for Second Time
Breaking Defense: Space Supply Chain Gaps: Propulsion, Hardened Electronics and Laser Links
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Experts: ‘Kudos’ to Air Force Progress on Kill Webs, but Some Problems Persist
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Lockheed Get $122 Million for Gear to Accelerate JASSM and LRASM Production
Air & Space Forces Magazine: From Iran to Golden Dome: Lessons for US Missile Defense
THE CALENDAR:
TUESDAY | MARCH 18
7:25 a.m. 1700 Richmond Highway, Arlington, Virginia — McAleese 16th Annual “Defense Programs” Conference. Full agenda and registration at https://mcaleese.com/conference-details
11 a.m. 1400 L St. NW — Atlantic Council’s Economic Statecraft Initiative book discussion: “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare,” with author Edward Fishman, adjunct professor of international and public affairs at Columbia University; former U.S. Ambassador to Poland Daniel Fried, fellow at the Atlantic Council; Nazak Nikakhtar, chair of national security at Wiley Rein LLC and former acting undersecretary of industry and security at the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security; Adam Szubin, professor of practice at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and former acting Treasury undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence; and Kimberly Donovan, director of the Atlantic Council’s Economic Statecraft Initiative https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/the-age-of-economic-warfare
5 p.m. 1521 16th St. NW — Institute of World Politics media briefing: “Assessing U.S. Relations with Russia and Ukraine,” with John Lenczowski, former principal adviser on the Soviet Union to President Ronald Reagan and founder of the Institute of World Politics; Glenn Corn, professor, Institute of World Politics; and Ralph Goff, former CIA Chief of Operations for Europe and Eurasia https://docs.google.com/forms
WEDNESDAY | MARCH 19
12 p.m. 2000 H St. NW — George Washington University National Security Law Program and National Security Law Association discussion: “National Security Lawyering in the Intelligence Community,” with William Gade, deputy general counsel for intelligence at the Defense Department; and Katie Kedian, visiting associate professor and GW national security, cybersecurity and foreign relations law fellow https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/national-security-lawyering
2 p.m. — Washington Institute for Near East Policy virtual forum: “Bombing Iran’s Nuclear Program: Implications of Preventive Action,” with Richard Nephew, WINEP adjunct fellow; Holly Dagres, WINEP senior fellow; and Michael Eisenstadt, WINEP senior fellow https://washingtoninstitute-org.zoom.us/webinar/register
3:30 p.m. 1211 Connecticut Ave. NW — Henry L. Stimson Center virtual discussion: “Security and Sovereignty: Exploring Canada’s Vision for Land Power,” with Lt. Gen. M.C. Wright, commander of the Canadian Army https://www.stimson.org/event/with-lieutenant-general-m-c-wright
THURSDAY | MARCH 20
8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr.,, McLean, Virginia — Potomac Officers Club 2025 Artificial Intelligence Summit, with Young Bang, principal deputy assistant Army secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology; Daniel Holtzman, CIO of the Defense Department’s Office of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer; Saleela Khanum Salahuddin, AI policy and governance lead in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Gurpreet Bhatia, acting deputy CIO for cybersecurity and acting chief information security officer at the Defense Department; Cynthia Kaiser, deputy assistant director of the FBI Cyber Division; and Sunil Madhugiri, CTO of U.S. Customs and Border Protection https://potomacofficersclub.com/events/2025-artificial-intelligence-summit/
9 a.m. 300 5th Ave. SW — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association DOD Cyber Workforce Summit, with Katie Arrington, performing the duties of the defense CIO; Army Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, commander, Joint Forces Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network and director, Defense Information Systems Agency; Ashley Manning, acting assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy; and Air Force Gen. Timothy Haugh, commander, U.S. Cyber Command https://www.afcea.org/events/dod-cyber-workforce-summit
9:30 a.m. 215 Dirksen — U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing: “Crossroads of Competition: China in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands,” with Prashanth Parameswaran, global fellow, Wilson Center; Lynn Kuok, chair in Southwest Asia studies at the Brookings Institution; and Graeme Smith, senior fellow, Australian National University; Gregory Poling, director and senior fellow, enter for Strategic and International Studies Southwest Asia Program; Jason Tower, country director for Burma at the U.S. Institute of Peace; and Cleo Paskal, non-resident senior fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies; Vikram Nehru, senior fellow, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies Foreign Policy Institute; Alvin Camba, research adviser on critical minerals at the Associated Universities Incorporated; and Guanie Lim, associate professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies https://www.uscc.gov
10 a.m. 1775 Massachusetts Ave. NW — Brookings Institution virtual discussion: “What’s next for US defense strategy and spending?’ with Mackenzie Eaglen, senior fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Michael O’Hanlon, senior fellow, and director, Brookings Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology; Stephen Tankel, associate professor, American University; and moderator: Melanie Sisson, senior fellow, Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology https://connect.brookings.edu/register-to-watch
2 p.m. — Defense One virtual discussion: “State of Defense 2025: Air Force and Space Force,” with Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin; Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George; Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman; and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith https://events.defenseone.com/state-of-defense
