Trump Warns U.S. Will Act if Houthis Carry Out Saudi Naval Blockade

President Donald Trump warned Tuesday that the United States would respond if Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels follow through on threats to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, as his administration signaled support for Riyadh's renewed military campaign against the group.

The president's remarks came a day after the Houthis announced they would blockade Saudi Arabia, only days after Saudi forces struck Sanaa International Airport following the diversion of an Iranian aircraft that U.S. officials believe was transporting weapons, missile components and Iranian military personnel intended for the Houthis.

"So far, it hasn't happened, might happen, but we take care of things," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. "If something like that happens, we take care of it."

The exchange marks the most significant cross-border escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in roughly four years. Direct fighting between the two sides had largely subsided following a United Nations-brokered truce in 2022, though the Houthis have continued expanding their missile, drone and maritime capabilities with Iranian support.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought and received approval from Trump before launching the latest strikes against the Houthis, according to a report by Axios. The operation targeted Sanaa International Airport after an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying Houthi officials returning from Iran was forced to divert. A U.S. official told the outlet the aircraft was believed to be carrying weapons and Iranian military personnel.

The administration has expanded military operations against Iran while the Houthis continue threatening to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. The developments have raised concerns about the potential for simultaneous disruption at both the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Strait of Hormuz—two waterways that together carry roughly one-third of global seaborne oil trade and serve as critical arteries for energy shipments between the Middle East, Europe and Asia, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, sees nearly 15% of global seaborne trade pass through its waters each year. The Houthis have already demonstrated their ability to disrupt one of the world's busiest shipping corridors, having carried out more than 190 attacks on commercial vessels since late 2023. Those attacks forced major shipping carriers to abandon the Red Sea route in favor of the far longer journey around Africa.

Bridget Toomey, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the latest escalation was driven by Saudi concerns that Iran and the Houthis were attempting to establish a dangerous new status quo by opening a direct air link between Tehran and Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

"A direct air connection between Tehran and Sanaa would be a serious threat, not just to the international community, but also to Saudi Arabia," Toomey said. She said such flights would create an easier route for Iran to move weapons, drones and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers into Yemen, posing a threat not only to Saudi Arabia but also to broader U.S. and international security interests.

Toomey described Riyadh's response as a measured escalation intended to demonstrate it would not allow such an air bridge to become normalized, rather than signaling a return to the yearslong Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen.

Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, said Trump's backing of the Saudi operation and his warning to the Houthis reflect an administration willing to support regional allies while confronting Iranian-backed groups that threaten maritime commerce.

"The Iranians are trying to project power. The president is supportive of any effort to limit that projection," Roman said. He said the airport strike reinforced Saudi Arabia's long-running effort to prevent Iran from establishing a direct supply corridor into Houthi-controlled Yemen.

"We're certainly not going to allow you to have any shipments to reinforce the Houthis," Roman said.

Toomey noted that the Houthis occupy a unique position within Iran's regional network because of their geographic location, allowing Tehran to pressure global commerce while largely avoiding direct military confrontation with the United States or its allies.

"They're crucial to Iran's broader ability to expand the conflict," she said. "Iraqi militias or Hezbollah don't sit on a maritime choke point."

If the campaign continues with Washington's backing, it would place one of Iran's most strategically valuable regional partners under renewed military pressure while increasing the cost of Tehran's broader effort to project power across the Middle East.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command declined to comment.