Trump says US "not involved" in ongoing conflict between Houthis and Saudi Arabia, adds "but we may"
Washington DC, July 28
Clarifying the US stance on the ongoing fighting between Saudi Arabia and Yemen's Houthis, President Donald Trump stated on Monday that Washington is "not involved with that" right now, but left the door open for future intervention "if there's a problem."
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said that the US has been "dealing with Saudi Arabia" currently amid the ongoing negotiations regarding the civil nuclear deal between the two nations.
"But, we may, you know, if there's a problem," he remarked.
When asked whether he has gotten any indication that Saudi Arabia will sign on to the Abraham Accords, as conditioned by him, Trump said, "We haven't talked about that."
Earlier, US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) reiterated that Saudi Arabia must join the Abraham Accords as a firm condition for finalising a bilateral civil nuclear arrangement, declaring that Riyadh no longer faces the threat of a dominant regional power in Iran to justify holding back.
The "Abraham Accords" are a series of US-brokered diplomatic pacts launched in 2020 that established formal political, economic, and security ties between Israel and several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
Speaking during an address on American nuclear innovation, Trump made his latest remarks the focal point of the proposed energy partnership, insisting that joining the regional normalisation agreement with Israel is "very important for the future of the Middle East".
"In order to do it, they have to be a member of the Abraham Accords... it's time now that they do it," Trump said. "They, and others, didn't want to do it because of the problem that they had with Iran. You don't have that problem anymore. You don't have that problem anymore, you don't have a great power there anymore. They were the bully of the Middle East. They're really not going to be that much of a bully anymore."
"At some point, they'll join," the President added.
The remarks come as Yemen's Houthi rebels on Monday claimed to have carried out drone strikes on what it described as "sensitive" Saudi Arabia crude oil supply and transport infrastructure, saying the operation was launched in response to what it called the"Saudi enemy's drone incursions into Yemeni airspace."
In a statement posted on Telegram, Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the group had targeted facilities linked to the transportation of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to the Red Sea city of Yanbu.
"By the grace of God, a number of sensitive targets and points related to the supply and transport of crude oil from eastern Saudi Arabia to Yanbu were targeted by several drones in response to the Saudi enemy's drone incursions into Yemeni airspace," Saree said.
The Houthis also said the operation followed what they described as the downing of a Saudi Bayraktar Akinci drone over Yemen's Al-Jawf Governorate.
According to footage released by the group, the drone was shot down while it was allegedly carrying out "hostile operations" in the airspace over Al-Jawf on July 26.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The Abraham Accords linkage is interesting—Trump is clearly using nuclear cooperation as leverage to push Saudi towards normalising with Israel. But the Houthi threat is real, and tying everything to Iran's diminished role seems premature. The Saudis have their own security calculus, and Yemen is still a bleeding wound. From an Indian perspective, we just hope this doesn't escalate further; our diaspora in the Gulf needs stability.
Typical US foreign policy—say you're not involved, then leave the door open for intervention. Meanwhile, the Houthis are literally striking Saudi oil infrastructure with drones. The Abraham Accords are a distraction from the real issue: Yemen is being used as a proxy battleground. India should be wary; if oil prices spike again, we'll bear the brunt.
Trump's 'you don't have that problem anymore' line about Iran is dangerously naive. Iran still has influence through proxies like the Houthis. The drone attack on Saudi oil is proof. India has historically maintained a balanced relationship with both Saudi and Iran—hope this doesn't force us into a corner. 🤔
The Houthi claim of downing a Saudi Bayraktar Akinci drone is a big deal—those are expensive Turkish-made drones. Shows how even non-state actors are getting sophisticated tech. For India, this is a reminder that drone warfare is the new normal, and we need to invest heavily in counter-drone systems for our own borders.
Trump's 'we haven't talked about that
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.