Houthis warn they will target American ships if US joins Israel in Iran war

In May, US President Donald Trump announced that he had made a deal with Yemen’s Houthi rebels s that the US would cease its strikes against them in exchange for an agreement that they would no longer disrupt trade routes.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

On Saturday, Yemen’s Houthi rebels threatened that they would attack American ships in the Red Sea if the US joined Israel in its war against Iran.

Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree issued a statement that said, “Any US aggression or attack in support of the Israeli enemy against Iran cannot go unanswered. Remaining silent would mean surrendering the freedom and dignity of the [Islamic] nation and allowing its wealth to be plundered. This is a battle for the entire nation and a salvation for all its people.”

“If the US is involved in an attack and aggression against Iran with the Israeli enemy, the armed forces will target its ships and warships in the Red Sea,” it concluded.

In May, US President Donald Trump announced that he had made a deal with the Houthis that the US would cease its strikes against them in exchange for an agreement that they would no longer disrupt trade routes.

Although the US and Israel had been engaged in strikes against the Iran-backed Yemeni terror group, Trump reportedly did not consult with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before agreeing that the US would cease strikes against the Houthis.

Trump said that the Houthis were tired of fighting. “They said, please don’t bomb us anymore, and we’re not going to attack your ships.”

“We will honor that, and we will stop the bombings,” Trump said, referring to US and Israeli strikes against the Houthis after the terror group had repeatedly disrupted shipping in the Red Sea and launched missiles against Israel.

“They have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their word… they say they will not be blowing up ships anymore,” Trump announced.

However, the head of Yemen’s Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, declared that the terror group would continue its attacks against Israel despite the ceasefire with the United States, citing the continuing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Since then, the Houthis have regularly fired missiles into Israel.

On Thursday, Trump’s White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the president would decide in two weeks whether the US will assist Israel in its war with Iran.

Citing a message from Trump, Leavitt told reporters: “Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.”