Story perspectives

Trump Declines Airstrikes Against Houthis, Warned of U.S. Retaliation

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 5:06 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump declined to launch airstrikes against the Houthis.
Houthi adviser Abed Mohammed al-Thawr warned the United States would be targeted if it intervened.
Houthis seized towns near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in September, threatening to close the waterway to U.S. ships.
The United Nations warned displaced Yemenis could rise from 130,000 to over 230,000 within months.

History

Historical Context

In October 2023, after Israel’s Gaza offensive, the Houthi rebels began missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping, saying they act in solidarity with Palestinians. The United States, which has run a Yemen drone campaign against al-Qaeda since post-9/11 and backed the Saudi-led coalition from 2015, has kept its response restrained, even as more than 190 vessel attacks by early 2025 led to Operation Rough Rider.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump declined to launch airstrikes against the Houthis.
Houthi adviser Abed Mohammed al-Thawr warned the United States would be targeted if it intervened.
Houthis seized towns near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in September, threatening to close the waterway to U.S. ships.
The United Nations warned displaced Yemenis could rise from 130,000 to over 230,000 within months.

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