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U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Yemen’s Houthi rebels have reportedly informed Washington of their intention to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.
Trump made the statement during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney at the White House on May 6.
According to the U.S. president, the Houthis allegedly said they “no longer want to fight,” and Washington will “respect” this decision.
“We will stop the bombings. They have surrendered… We will take them at their word that they will no longer blow up ships, and that’s exactly what we wanted,” Trump added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that the strikes were aimed at safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
“We are dealing with a group equipped with modern weaponry that posed a threat to global shipping, and the task was to put an end to it. And if they stop, we can stop too,” Rubio said.
The Houthis, who recently launched attacks against Israel, have not yet commented on Trump’s statement.
Since fall 2023, the Houthis have been targeting commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, accusing them of supporting Israel — in protest against its military operations in Gaza.
In recent weeks, the U.S. administration has intensified its military campaign against the Houthis, increasing the number of strikes on their positions in Yemen.
Additionally, President Trump has ordered the deployment of a second U.S. aircraft carrier to the Middle East amid the expanded bombing campaign against the Houthi militants in Yemen.
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