President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that he would “take care of” the Houthi rebels if the Iran-backed militant group follows through on its threatened blockade of Saudi ports.
Trump's warning during White House meeting
Speaking to reporters during a White House meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Trump said: “If something like that happens, we take care of it.” He added, “You know, we’ve done that with the Houthis before, and we haven’t heard from them in a while since we did what we did originally.”
Context of the threat
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have previously threatened to block Red Sea shipping lanes and Saudi ports in retaliation for Saudi-led coalition airstrikes. Trump’s comments suggest a willingness to use military force to protect Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally in the region.
Past U.S. actions against Houthis
Under Trump’s previous administration, the U.S. conducted airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to attacks on Saudi oil facilities. The president’s reference to “what we did originally” alludes to those strikes, which temporarily deterred Houthi aggression.
The meeting with Aoun also covered Lebanon’s political and economic crises, but Trump’s remarks on the Houthis dominated the press briefing.
