Trump Claims Houthis Agreed to Halt Attacks on US Forces
The US president stated that Yemen's Houthi group has agreed not to fight Washington, even as Saudi airstrikes intensify in northern Yemen.
Key points
- US President Trump stated that the Houthi group has agreed not to fight the United States.
- Saudi airstrikes reportedly killed four workers in Yemen's Al-Jawf province on Sunday.
- The US military has no plans for offensive strikes against the Houthis, according to CNN.
US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that Washington maintains constant communication with Yemen's Houthi group, which has reportedly agreed not to engage in combat with the United States. According to reports from Fox News, the president relayed this message to indicate a diplomatic channel remains open despite the escalating regional tensions.
These remarks align with comments Trump made during a recent visit to Ireland, where he noted that the Houthi leadership indicated they did not want the United States to target them. The statement suggests an attempt to de-escalate a specific axis of conflict while broader hostilities between the Houthis and Saudi-backed forces continue to intensify.
US military avoids direct engagement
CNN reported on Sunday that the US military has no plans to launch offensive strikes against the Houthi group, citing a US official. This position reflects a consistent administration stance of limiting direct military involvement in the Yemeni conflict, even as regional dynamics shift rapidly.
Multiple media outlets previously reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had urged the Trump administration to authorize strikes against the Houthis. However, according to those reports, the president declined the request, preferring to avoid a broader confrontation that could draw the US into a more complex regional dispute.
Escalating violence in northern Yemen
Houthi-run media reported that four people were killed and three others injured on Sunday in Saudi airstrikes targeting telecommunications infrastructure in Al-Jawf province. Al-Masirah TV stated that warplanes struck towers along the northern border, though Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the reported casualties, which could not be independently verified.
The Houthis claimed that Saudi warplanes conducted 28 airstrikes over the previous 24 hours across Al-Jawf, Taiz, and Marib provinces. These attacks coincide with fierce fighting in southwestern Yemen, where Houthi forces have recently captured the Red Sea port city of Mocha and advanced toward the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Strategic implications for regional stability
Analysts noted that the Houthi advances have raised concerns about opening a new front in the broader US-Iran conflict. The current situation represents the sharpest escalation since a UN-brokered truce in 2022 largely halted major hostilities, complicating an already volatile regional landscape.
According to chinadailyasia.com, the conflict began in late 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in support of the internationally recognized government. The recent developments underscore the persistent instability in Yemen and the delicate balance of external involvement in the region.
