WASHINGTON — National security adviser Mike Waltz said Sunday that “all options are always on the table” when asked whether direct military action against Iran would be possible.
His comments come after the U.S. launched airstrikes Saturday on parts of Yemen that are controlled by Houthis, an Iran-backed group that has attacked shipping vessels in response to the war in Gaza.
“All options are always on the table with the president, but Iran needs to hear him loud and clear,” Waltz said in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week.” “It is completely unacceptable, and it will be stopped, the level of support that they’ve been providing the Houthis, just like they have Hezbollah, just like they have the militias in Iraq, Hamas and others.”
President Donald Trump announced the strikes on Saturday, saying in a post to Truth Social that Houthi attacks “on American vessels will not be tolerated.”
“We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective,” Trump added.
Trump also warned Iran in the same post that its support for Houthis “must end immediately.” He told the nation to “beware” of threatening Americans and that “America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”
The airstrikes on Yemen come as the Trump administration is also trying to end the war in Ukraine by meeting with Russian and Ukrainian officials to determine a path to a possible ceasefire.
Waltz said diplomacy is ongoing, but indicated that it was unrealistic to expect Ukraine would regain all of its territory taken over by Russia.
“We have to ask ourselves, is it in our national interest, is it realistic?” Waltz said when asked about territory that may be given to Russia despite Russia having launched the war by invading Ukraine.
“Are we going to drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea?” he asked, arguing that the Biden administration’s strategy was “essentially endless warfare in an environment that we’re literally losing hundreds of thousands of people in a matter of months, and could escalate into World War III.”
“We can talk about what’s right and wrong, and we also have to talk about the reality of the situation on the ground,” Waltz said.
Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” that his recent meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin “was positive.” Witkoff has been active in ongoing talks about the future of Russia and Ukraine.
Witkoff said in the same interview that he expects Trump and Putin to have a call sometime this week.
During his presidential campaign, Trump said he could end the war in Ukraine in one day or even before being sworn in.
During a “Full Measure” interview taped last week with journalist Sharyl Attkisson, Trump said he “was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that.”
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