US President Donald Trump confirmed that his administration maintains contacts with the Yemeni movement “Ansar Allah“, known as the Houthis. According to him, the group has sought the American side and does not want a direct conflict with the US.
“The Houthis have called us and they do not want to fight us”, Trump said, quoted by the Associated Press. He added that the movement prefers Washington not to interfere and that it allows most ships through the Red Sea. The US president did not specify when and through whom the talks were held.
The contacts were also confirmed by J.D. Vance
Vice President J.D. Vance also confirmed that the US had held direct talks with the Houthis. Earlier, the Associated Press reported that a meeting between US and Houthi representatives was organized in Oman with the mediation of local authorities.
At the same time, Washington maintains constant communication with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. US officials said that US Central Command is assisting Saudi forces with intelligence sharing, target identification and planning, but there has been no confirmation of direct US military involvement in the strikes.
12 killed in Riyadh airport strike
Trump's comments came amid a new attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. A missile struck a complex with terminals 3 and 4. According to Saudi aviation authorities, 12 people were killed and more than 300 were injured, some of them seriously.
The Saudi-led coalition blamed the Houthis for the attack. The movement has previously claimed responsibility for other strikes on Saudi airports, military sites and energy infrastructure. There was no immediate comment from the Houthis on the latest attack.
Trump said he was considering the possibility of the United States joining the Saudi-led strikes in Yemen. "We will consider it. We just learned about the latest attack and we will make a decision," the US president said.
Houthis promise not to attack US ships
Mohammed al-Buhaiti, a member of the Houthi political leadership, told the Associated Press that the movement had assured the US administration that it would not attack US ships in the Red Sea. He said the group's actions were aimed at Saudi Arabia because of its blockade of areas under Houthi control.
Fighting in Yemen has intensified after the Houthis advanced along the western coast and towards the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saudi forces support Yemen's internationally recognized government, while the Houthis control large parts of the western part of the country and have said they will continue attacks on Saudi targets.
Sources: apnews.com, theguardian.com