The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have reportedly reassured the Trump administration that they will not attack U.S. ships in the Red Sea.
Senior Houthi official Mohamed al-Bukhaiti told The Associated Press that the administration reached out to his group earlier this month, after the Houthis took several towns and islands along Yemen’s western coast that are crucial to controlling the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
“We confirmed that we are not targeting the United States, or any other nation, in the strait, with the sole exception of the Saudi enemy,” al-Bukhaiti told the AP. “That remains the case.”
The assurance comes as President Trump has reportedly rebuffed several requests from Saudi Arabia to launch strikes on the Houthis. The most recent plea came Thursday from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The New York Times reported that the president was prepared to launch airstrikes against the Houthis after speaking with the crown prince, but reversed course on Sunday.
Instead of strikes, Washington has sent advisers to support the kingdom. Saudi Arabia has had its key energy pipelines attacked recently, and its capital was targeted by a ballistic missile over the weekend.
The president’s current posture stands in contrast to his earlier approach. Trump previously took a harder line against the Houthis, ordering strikes on the group in March 2025 in response to attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea. Those plans were famously shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on a Signal chat that included The Atlantic’s editor in chief.
This time around, the administration is reluctant to become involved with the Houthis, as it is focused on its war in Iran. That fighting has depleted advanced munitions stockpiles and threatened to spill into a wider regional conflict.
