US President Donald Trump has once again demonstrated his willingness to pressure even close allies when it serves his interests, this time delivering a significant setback to Saudi Arabia, Washington’s closest partner in West Asia. The United States has announced that it will not strike the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who have repeatedly targeted Saudi Arabia with drone and rocket-launcher attacks. Reports indicate that Trump has instead reached a form of peace understanding with the group.
The United States had earlier moved to prepare strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen in defence of its ally, Saudi Arabia, with reports circulating that American bomber aircraft would carry out large-scale attacks on Houthi bases. Just as it appeared that a major offensive against Houthi strongholds was imminent, Washington’s sudden reversal came as a shock. Trump unexpectedly withdrew the United States from the planned operation, even though Saudi Arabia had itself formally requested American assistance. Meanwhile, the Yemeni militia is reported to be rapidly and extensively consolidating its hold over key strategic areas near the Red Sea.
The Houthis have recently taken complete control of Yemen’s entire western and southern coastline and have set their sights on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea. The strait is one of the most critical corridors in global maritime trade, carrying the bulk of shipping traffic between Asia, Europe and the Americas. Reports suggest the United States has reached an arrangement with the Houthis to ensure that American vessels passing through this route are not attacked. Notably, Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political bureau, announced that the group would not target American ships. At the same time, he warned that attacks would continue against vessels belonging to countries that support Saudi Arabia. The Houthis further warned that if Pakistan and Turkey were to attack them under the framework of the Mecca defence cooperation agreement, the group would crush such attempts with an iron fist.
Reports suggest there is a strong underlying reason for Trump’s sudden decision to halt strikes on the Houthis. According to an official, a significant number of members within his inner circle have been strongly opposed to taking action against the Houthis and to extending military support to Saudi Arabia. These officials are understood to believe that, with the US military already under considerable strain from the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, opening a new front of hostility with the Houthis at this juncture would not be advisable.
Separately, the Houthis issued a key statement declaring that they would not target American vessels. Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, of the group’s political bureau, disclosed that talks had already been held with the United States on this matter, and stated clearly that the Houthis would also refrain from targeting the ships of other nations. “With the exception of Saudi Arabia, we will not target the vessels of any other country in the Red Sea, and we will not do so in the future either. We will not act against anyone unless other countries join hands with Saudi Arabia against us,” Al-Bukhaiti stated.