According to reports from Reuters and other sources on the 21st, during a meeting with Lebanese President Assad at the White House on Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that if Yemen's Houthi forces block the Red Sea, the United States would take action.
When talking about the possibility of the Houla militant group blocking the Red Sea, Trump said to reporters in the Oval Office, "I think if something like that really happens, we will have to deal with it."
He continued by saying that recently, “there are no issues between us and the Houla movement,” and that “for a long time, there have been no problems between them and us, including during this conflict.”
The conflict between the United States and Iran continues, and tensions between Houthi forces in Yemen and Saudi Arabia have suddenly intensified. On Monday last week (July 13), Houthi forces accused Saudi Arabia of launching an air strike on Sanaa International Airport, stating that the purpose of the operation was to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. In retaliation, they launched missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia.
Hussein armed forces issued a statement saying that the Saudi side should fully recognize that the years-long blockade of Yemen has "ended." The statement warned that any related actions taken by the Saudi side would be seen as "the last shot in an effort to cool the situation and move towards a ceasefire."
Under the control of the Houthi militant group, a large-scale public gathering was held in Yemen's capital Sanaa on the 17th. Participants at the gathering expressed opposition to the blockade and intervention in Yemen, as well as opposition to the United States' military actions in the region. The Yemeni government, supported by Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, has a presence in Aden in the south.
On July 20 local time, Houthi forces announced a ‘sea embargo’ against Saudi Arabia, which took effect immediately. They warned that ships engaging in trade with Saudi ports could face military attacks.
Saudi-led multinational forces subsequently stated that they have taken measures to ensure the safe passage of ships from their member states through the Strait of Mandeb, and will respond firmly to any threats from the Houla faction.
