President Donald Trump announced a dramatic halt to U.S. military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen on Tuesday. He cited a message from the Iran-backed group that they “don’t want to fight anymore.”
The announcement, made from the Oval Office alongside Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, signals a potentially pivotal moment in the regional conflict that has drawn in the United States, Iran, Israel, and Yemeni factions.
US Ceasefire Marks Major Diplomatic Shift
“We will honor that, and we will stop the bombings,” Trump declared. “They have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their word … they say they will not be blowing up ships anymore.”
The U.S. has been conducting airstrikes on Houthi positions since mid-March in response to their attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes and ballistic missile launches targeting Israel. But according to a defense official, orders were given Monday night for the U.S. military to stand down.
Oman-Brokered Ceasefire
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, Trump’s ceasefire announcement followed intense diplomatic backchanneling between the U.S., Oman, and the Houthis.
