The United States of America continues its field and political moves to confront the Iran-backed Houthi group, stressing that protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the export of terrorism top the list of its strategic interests in the Middle East, coinciding with renewed armed confrontations in Yemen and escalating security concerns around the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
In this context, an American official confirmed, in statements to Sky News Arabia, that the administration of US President Donald Trump continues to take strict measures against the Houthis to protect international navigation and prevent the expansion of terrorist threats in the region.
For his part, a spokesman for the US State Department, in response to an inquiry about Washington’s strategy for dealing with Houthi threats to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, explained that the Trump administration “has clearly demonstrated its commitment to defending its interests in the face of aggression emanating from Iran and its proxies.”
The spokesman pointed out that Washington has continuously worked to deprive the Houthis of sources of funding and arms flows, pointing to the imposition of sanctions on more than 200 entities linked to the group, which the Trump administration had previously classified as a foreign terrorist organization, as part of efforts to undermine its military and material capabilities.
Regarding the position on supporting the legitimate Yemeni government, and following the request of the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, the US State Department spokesman stated: “We communicate regularly with our allies and regional partners regarding Yemen, and we continue to focus on achieving our common goals in combating terrorism, in confronting the Houthis and other terrorist groups that are spreading chaos throughout the region.”
These developments and American positions come as a result of a phone call that Al-Alimi made to President Trump, last Sunday, during which he called for Washington’s support to confront the Houthi escalation, amid renewed battles on the ground in Yemen.
In the same context, Reuters quoted an informed source as saying that President Trump did not provide pledges to provide direct military support during the call, but the call in itself is considered political support for the Presidential Command Council in light of the current field complications.
