President Trump and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (left) [AFP=Yonhap News]

On the 21st (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his willingness to respond to the Houthi rebels, an Iranian-backed militant group in Yemen, after they declared a blockade of the Red Sea, stating, "If that happens, we will take care of it."

During a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House that day, President Trump was asked by reporters about the possibility of a Red Sea blockade by the Houthi rebels. He responded, "We’ll have to see what happens. It hasn’t happened yet."

Amidst ongoing military tensions between the U.S. and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthi rebels have declared their intention to blockade the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea, targeting the pro-U.S. oil-producing nation of Saudi Arabia.

President Trump's remarks are interpreted as a signal that if the Houthis initiate a blockade, the U.S. will utilize its military power to strike them.

The U.S. military previously launched large-scale attacks between March and May of last year against the Houthis, who had been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea, following instructions from President Trump.

President Trump also warned that he would soon strike the so-called "Pickaxe Mountain," where Iran’s underground nuclear facilities are suspected to be located.

President Trump stated, "We will be hitting that area very, very hard in the not-too-distant future."

Pickaxe Mountain is located near Iran's Natanz uranium enrichment facility, and it is known to house a fortified underground nuclear installation.

President Trump emphasized, "Any place they are even thinking about in relation to nuclear weapons, we will hit very, very hard."

When asked whether Iran had moved its nuclear centrifuges to Pickaxe Mountain, he replied, "They might have," but added, "Without nuclear materials, that means nothing."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was present at the meeting, emphasized the need to block Iran's nuclear weapons development, citing the case of North Korea.

Secretary Hegseth stated, "For 47 years, they (Iran) have been building up their conventional military, just like North Korea," adding, "Remember that is exactly how North Korea developed their bomb (nuclear bomb)."

President Trump [AP=Yonhap News]

President Trump also remarked, "Iran is desperate to meet (with the U.S.)," adding, "We are not interested until they are ready to meet in a meaningful way."

Furthermore, he said that even if the U.S. military were to withdraw immediately, it would take 20 to 25 years for Iran to rebuild.

He continued, "But we are not going to withdraw immediately, and we have dealt Iran a major blow," adding, "I don't think they will ever be able to rebuild. Honestly, they haven't experienced anything yet. We have been quite lenient so far."

Regarding the U.S. maritime blockade of Iran, he said, "Nobody can break through the blockade. It's like a wall of steel," asserting that the blockade is being carried out perfectly.

President Trump also expressed his intention to support Lebanon during the meeting.

President Trump said, "Lebanon has been a country that has been treated very unfairly for a long time," and added, "I will ensure that this country is treated properly and receives the respect it deserves."

Meanwhile, regarding his previous allegations of Chinese interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, President Trump stated, "I will talk to China about that matter."

Regarding the fire at a New York federal building the previous day, he attributed it to immigrants, stating, "That is what the people we allow into our country do. They are extreme maniacs, and I am going to kick them out."