President Donald Trump announced that missile attacks against the Houthi terrorist group would cease immediately. This decision follows an agreement where the group committed to stopping its assaults on U.S. ships.
For months, Iranian-backed rebels had targeted U.S. vessels from Yemen, but Trump stated that they had now agreed to halt attacks in the Red Sea area.
“They surrendered. They’ve pledged not to strike our ships anymore,” Trump remarked at a press conference on Tuesday, adding that the group requested the U.S. to stop bombing them.
On the weekend, the Houthis had been under significant military pressure following Israel’s retaliation against a ballistic missile attack on the Jerusalem airport, an action linked to the group’s alliance with Hamas and their extended support for Israel’s military operations.
Trump emphasized at the White House, “They surrendered, and we’re willing to take their words for it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was instructed by Trump to get in touch with the Houthis regarding this decision.
“If they stop hostilities, we can do the same,” Rubio shared with reporters.
The Trump administration designated the Houthis as a terrorist group in March, contrasting with the previous classification by the Biden administration.
Human Rights Watch criticized the Trump administration, claiming that U.S. airstrikes had caused significant civilian casualties in Yemen.
“The airstrikes seemed to have resulted in a high number of Yemeni civilian casualties over the past month, highlighting a shift in Pentagon policies that may have led to less restraint in using force,” the organization noted.
The president’s remarks on the Houthi situation can be viewed in a report by PBS News.
