Donald Trump, the President of the United States announced on Tuesday the United States would cease their airstrike campaigns against Yemen’s Houthi Rebels. This will bring an abrupt end to the nearly two-month long military operation in the Red Sea Gulf of Aden.
Trump said that the Houthis had requested informally to cease hostilities.
Trump announced the suspension of the program at the White House, ahead of an upcoming meeting with Canadian Premier Mark Carney.
The Houthis announced, or at least they announced it to us that they no longer want to fight. The Houthis just do not want to fight. We will respect that. Trump said, “We will end the bombings and they will capitulate.”
Trump’s administration launched a bombing operation on 15 March following Houthi attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The US have carried out airstrikes in “Operation Rough Rider” since then.
This campaign was similar to the one conducted by former president Joe Biden who ordered hundreds of airstrikes against the militant Yemeni group, in order to prevent its attacks on the shipping lanes along the crucial maritime corridor.
Houthis indicate willingness to stop attacks amid increasing pressure
Trump claimed that the Houthi movement reached out to him late on Monday to express a wish to end the conflict.
After sustained US military operation since March, the pressure is mounting on Houthis.
The US Central Command claims that the US campaign has resulted to hundreds of Houthi deaths.
Trump’s claim has not been confirmed by the Houthis who, hours before had claimed to be fighting in a “holy battle”.
However, hours before Trump’s announcement, and shortly after an Israeli airstrike hit Yemen’s main international airport on Tuesday, the Houthi-led government issued a statement declaring it was waging a “holy war” in support of the “wronged Palestinian people in Gaza,” and fighting what it described as an “Israeli-American-British” enemy.
Regional tensions persist despite US withdrawal
Politico reported that despite the US’s apparent retreat, tensions are still high in the region. The arrangement, if limited to the protection of American vessels, is unlikely to reduce tensions.
Israel carried out an airstrike on Hodeidah, the port controlled by Houthi fighters. The strike involved 20 jets.
This military response was prompted by a ballistic missile fired by the Houthis that hit near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport in May.
Israeli warplanes targeted Sana’a Airport, and the surrounding area on Tuesday after Houthis reaffirmed their support for Gaza.
Security officials said that the Israeli government had not issued a formal announcement, but they indicated that these strikes were in direct response to attacks against civilian air infrastructure.
The impact of Houthi attacks on Red Sea ships
Global shipping has been severely affected by the repeated Houthis attacks in the Red Sea on ships.
The Cape of Good Hope has forced commercial ships to change their route, adding several weeks of travel time as well as millions of dollars in fuel costs.
Marco Rubio, Secretary of State on Tuesday, reiterated that the US military intervention had originally been framed as a move to safeguard freedom of navigation.
Rubio stated that “This is a group of individuals who have advanced weapons and were threatening the global shipping.” The job at hand was to put an end to this.
The upcoming Gulf visit will add diplomatic weight
Trump announced his decision just days ahead of his planned visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as well as the United Arab Emirates.
Before the trip, he had hinted that a significant diplomatic announcement would be made. However, he refused to provide any details.
Questions remain as to whether the informal agreement with the Houthis, which was reached informally by the Houthis and the government during the de-escalation process with regional allies will continue.
Israel’s ongoing air campaign and the group’s prior statements suggest a wider regional conflict still threatens any pauses in US actions.
As new information becomes available, this post may change.
