Trump reverses course on strikes against Houthis

Recent weeks have seen the Iran-backed Houthi movement launch a series of offensive efforts to gain control over Yemen's Red Sea coast, according to the New York Times. The US President, Donald Trump, has repeatedly shifted his strategy regarding Yemen, caught between the demands of Saudi Arabia and the potential consequences of escalating the Middle East conflict.

Iran-backed Houthi militants have been on a lightning offensive, capturing the entirety of Yemen's Red Sea coast, putting immense pressure on the government backed by Saudi Arabia. According to The New York Times, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman contacted Trump on Sunday to plead for his assistance in curbing the rapid advance of the Houthi group.

Initially, Trump had expressed opposition to strikes against the Houthis, but after receiving a call from the Saudi Crown Prince, his stance changed. The New York Times reported that he instructed his Pentagon to prepare for airstrikes against the Houthis, as cited by anonymous administration officials. However, this decision was short-lived as Trump appeared to reverse his stance again by midday on Sunday, according to the newspaper's sources.

The decision to halt the strikes on the Houthis occurred as commanders were finalizing target lists, and troops were preparing to load bombs onto US warplanes. The offensive had just begun, presenting a critical moment for the administration's decision-making process.

Earlier, US news outlet Axios reported that Trump had rejected a Saudi request to strike the Houthis in the previous week. Fox News also stated that Trump had assured the Houthis would not target US interests.

The Middle East conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran began on February 28 when the US-Israeli forces struck Iran. Iran retaliated with attacks across the region. Iran-backed groups, including the Houthis in Yemen and Hezbollah in Lebanon, subsequently became involved in the ongoing war. Since its inception in 2014, the Yemeni war has been largely halted since 2022, but it resumed in July.

Saudi Arabia has been leading a coalition supporting the internationally recognized government since 2015. Their intervention intensified the war, resulting in one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.