{
  "id": 9568261,
  "title": "Did Trump leave his allies to face the Houthis alone?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/did-trump-leave-his-allies-to-face-the-houthis-alone",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-24T14:53:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Al Majalla English",
    "slug": "al-majalla-english",
    "url": "https://en.majalla.com/node/333207/politics/did-trump-leave-his-allies-face-houthis-alone"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Did President Trump abandon his allies to confront the Houthis unaided? President Trump's decision to shun involvement in the Yemeni conflict with the Houthis, despite his past actions to combat them, has left observers puzzled. The group's advances along the Red Sea coast, their proximity to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and their attacks on Saudi targets prompted Trump to distance himself from Saudi Arabia and Yemen's recognised government in the war. A secret meeting between US officials and a Houthi delegation at the US embassy in Muscat revealed a deal: the Houthis would refrain from targeting American vessels if the US refrained from engaging in the war. This development, coupled with reports that Trump had received a request from Saudi Arabia for direct US strikes against the Houthis, has raised questions about the nature of US involvement. Despite the Saudi military's strength and Yemen's recognised government's remaining forces, the US opted to limit its exposure to the conflict, negotiating with the Houthis to safeguard its interests while avoiding direct military intervention. The Muscat meeting appears to have separated two conflicts that were previously intertwined, focusing on the security of US vessels and freedom of navigation, versus the Saudi-Yemeni confrontation over territory, borders, and the future of the Yemeni state.",
  "summary": "Did Trump leave his allies to face the Houthis alone? newspress_en Thu, 09/24/2026 - 15:53 Politics At first glance, Washington's decision not to fight the Houthis is puzzling. After all, it was US President Donald Trump who decided to put the Yemeni rebel group back on the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organisations, launched a sweeping air campaign against them in 2025, and threatened them with…",
  "key_points": [
    "Trump avoided involvement in Yemen conflict with Houthis.",
    "Secret meeting led to deal: Houthis to stop targeting US vessels.",
    "US limited exposure, negotiated with Houthis for vessel security."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}