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Trump-Red Sea
WASHINGTON, July 21 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the United States would 'take care of' the Iran-backed Houthi militia if it presses ahead with a blockade in the Red Sea, as concerns grew that if the waterway is blocked, it could further strain global energy supplies.
Trump made the remarks during a press availability with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House. On Monday, the Houthi militia announced a blockade on Saudi Arabia, deepening fears that the Red Sea, an alternative energy export corridor, could be threatened as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persist.
"We will see what happens. So far, it hasn't happened. (It) might happen, but we take care of things," he said during a press availability at the White House meeting. "If something like that happens, we (will) take care of it."
He pointed out that the U.S. has already dealt with the Houthis before, citing a previous military operation against the militia aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
"We've had no problem with the Houthis (after the operation). They've had no problem with us for a long time, including during this conflict," he said. "I think that if there is something like that, we'll just have to take care of this."
South Korea and other countries, which rely heavily on the Middle East for energy imports, have been closely watching developments in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea due to their potential impact on the global energy supplies.
During the meeting, Trump also said that the U.S. military will conduct strikes on Pickaxe Mountain, an underground Iranian site suspected of housing Tehran's covert nuclear operations.
"We'll be hitting that area pretty soon, and very heavily," he said.
Trump claimed that Iran "desperately" wants to meet with U.S. negotiators for nuclear talks, calling for Tehran to engage in dialogue "in a meaningful way."
"I will tell you. They want to desperately meet. And until they're ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in meeting," he said.
During the meeting, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Iran has built its conventional military capabilities in the same way North Korea did before developing its nuclear arms, as he defended America's fight against the Islamic Republic.
In April, Hegseth also said that Iran's conventional buildup is akin to the North's strategy under which it has used conventional capabilities to prevent anyone from challenging it so that it could "slow-walk their way" to a nuclear weapon.
"(Iranians) built up a conventional capability like the North Koreans did. Remember, that's how North Korea made their way to a bomb," he said. "So much weaponry that no one was willing to stand up."
The secretary argued that Iran has been given "every opportunity" to negotiate with the U.S., as Washington and Tehran have continued to trade strikes against each other, deepening concerns over a possible return to full-scale war.
He also warned that if Iran launches strikes on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. will hit it "10 times harder."
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