US Halts Bombing of Houthis in Yemen Following Ceasefire Deal

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that the United States will stop airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen after the group agreed to cease attacks on vital shipping lanes in the Middle East. The announcement did not address ongoing Houthi strikes against Israel, a point that Israeli officials said caught them by surprise.

Oman revealed it had mediated the ceasefire agreement under which both sides pledged to halt attacks on each other, including US vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. “They said please don’t bomb us any more and we’re not going to attack your ships,” Trump said during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office. “And I will accept their word, and we are going to stop the bombing of the Houthis effective immediately.”

Trump added that the Houthis said they would not target shipping lanes, stating, “They were knocking out a lot of ships sailing beautifully down the various seas.”

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi confirmed the deal on X, describing it as a “welcome outcome.” However, the ceasefire agreement did not cover Houthi strikes against Israel, a point of concern for Jerusalem. Israeli officials said they were not informed in advance of the deal, leading to heightened tensions.

On Tuesday, Israel conducted airstrikes that it claimed “completely disabled” Sanaa International Airport in the Houthi-controlled capital, following a missile strike by the Houthis on Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday.

The Houthi Supreme Political Council’s head, Mahdi al-Mashat, vowed to continue attacking Israel “in support of Gaza.” Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, also suggested his group would persist in its attacks against Israel despite the US-Houthi truce.

Meanwhile, US officials disclosed that the bombing campaign, which began in March under the name Operation Rough Rider, had cost over $750 million, with over 1,000 targets struck and hundreds of Houthi fighters killed. Despite Trump’s assertion that the Houthis no longer want to fight, analysts warn that the group may continue its strikes against Israel, with Eurasia Group analyst Gregory Brew noting that “they are likely, however, to continue shooting at Israel.”

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) warned that Israel must be prepared to defend itself against Houthi attacks, tweeting, “It is long past time to consider hitting Iran hard. It wouldn’t take much to put Iran out of the oil business.”

Trump hinted at a significant announcement before his scheduled visit to the Middle East later this month, describing it as “very, very, very big… as big as it gets… and it’s really positive.” He did not elaborate further but said it could come Thursday, Friday, or Monday.

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