Deputy National Security Advisor John Feiner said US military action to deter Iranian-backed groups like the Houthi rebels in Yemen will take time, and the Biden administration will have “more to say about that soon.”

While Weiner's comments hint at additional, unspecified measures, Weiner's comments on ABC this week are broadly in line with President Joe Biden's acknowledgment last week that Houthi missile and drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea are unlikely to stop. Immediately.

“Deterrence is not just a push of a button,” Feiner said on Sunday, adding: “We are dismantling these stockpiles, so they cannot launch as many attacks over time. This will take time to implement.”

Iranian-backed militias are carrying out other attacks in the region, including an attack in western Iraq on Saturday in which at least two US service members were wounded.

You can be assured that we are taking this matter seriously and will have more to say about it soon, Feiner said.

US air strikes destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile on Saturday that was prepared for launch in the Gulf of Aden, in the latest move against Yemen-based militants who have been targeting commercial traffic in the Red Sea for weeks.

The United States and the United Kingdom are exploring ways to intensify their campaign against the Houthis without provoking a broader war, focusing on preemptive strikes and targeting resupply shipments from Iran, according to people familiar with the discussions