Abu Salah's Arabic Desk provides additional quotes from President Trump regarding the Houthi threat to Saudi shipping. Trump stated that the Houthis have not yet acted on their blockade threat, but the US is prepared to respond. He also claimed that past US strikes against the Houthis have kept them quiet.
President Trump's latest remarks, as reported by Abu Salah's Arabic Desk, add further detail to his earlier statements on the Houthi threat. Trump said the Houthis 'haven't had problems with us' during the current conflict, referencing past US strikes that he claimed silenced the group. The quotes come just minutes after The Zioneer reported Trump's initial statement (18:25 Jerusalem) that the Houthis have not yet blocked the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and that the US would respond if they did.
The Zioneer first reported Trump's comments at 18:19 Jerusalem, citing Amichai Stein (i24NEWS), in which the president said the Houthis have not yet closed the strait but that the situation would require evaluation. A subsequent update at the same time added that Trump said the US would 'handle it' if the Houthis block the strait, and that 'we haven't heard from them since' past US strikes. The 18:25 Jerusalem bulletin noted Trump's cautious stance. The new quotes from Abu Salah's Arabic Desk reinforce the same theme, attributing the Houthis' silence to past US action.
The Zioneer has previously reported on the broader Houthi-US tensions. On Monday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree claimed a missile strike on Jaffa and announced a ban on Israeli Red Sea shipping. On Tuesday, the Houthi-affiliated Saba agency claimed six ships turned back in the Red Sea in response to a Houthi warning. Additionally, Abu Salah's Arabic Desk has offered analysis of Trump's advisers' understanding of the Middle Eastern mindset, and reported on US naval deployments in the Arabian Sea. The US has previously backed Saudi strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
What remains open: the Houthis have not yet acted on their threat to block Saudi shipping, and Trump's claim that past US strikes have kept the Houthis quiet is unverified. The situation is still developing.
3 developments
- StrongTrump: US will handle any Houthi threat to Bab el-Mandeb, citing past action
- StrongHouthis threaten to strike Saudi oil facilities, warn of 'short time' for Riyadh to lift blockade
- StrongTrump backed Saudi strikes on Sanaa airport over Iranian arms flight, report says
- DevelopingTrump reportedly pledges 'lethal force' against Houthis in Yemen
Source and signal
- Internal intake