President Trump on Tuesday threatened to bomb Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen if they carry out their threat to enforce a blockade in the Red Sea.
Mr. Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the U.S. has dealt with similar threats from the Houthis before and is prepared to act again if shipping is threatened.
“So far, it hasn’t happened. Might happen. But we take care of things. If something like that happens, we take care of it. You know, we’ve done that with the Houthis before, and we haven’t heard from them in a while,” he said during a press conference with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
The Houthis occupy much of Yemen’s southwestern territory and maintain effective control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a choke point in the southern part of the Red Sea.
The Houthis previously announced a blockade in the Red Sea in response to the Israeli military’s offensive in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks. The U.S. launched retaliatory strikes in Yemen to stop that blockade and reached an agreement with Houthi leaders to halt their attacks on U.S. vessels.
U.S. attacks on Houthi strongholds in Yemen would mark a major expansion of the Iran war, which has devastated the Middle East since late February. In addition to Israel, Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman have been hit by Iranian missiles and drones since the war began.
Iraq, Jordan and Syria have also come under fire from Iran for hosting U.S. military assets, which Iranian officials assert are legitimate targets in the war.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement Monday that the organization would immediately impose a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia, which borders the Red Sea.
Such a blockade presents a crippling threat to Riyadh, which has relied heavily on the Bab al-Mandeb waterway for its petroleum shipments following Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in late February.
While there have not been reports of Houthi strikes on commercial vessels in the Red Sea since the blockade was announced, some tankers reportedly have turned around in response to the threats.
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