The counter-move came promptly: after the Yemeni Houthi militia, allied with Iran, threatened shipping companies intending to call at Saudi Arabian ports in the Red Sea, US President Donald Trump responded with a threat of his own.
The US would “take care of it” if the Iran-backed Houthi militia continued its blockade in the Red Sea, Trump said during a press briefing at the White House. This comes against a backdrop of growing concerns that a blockade of this waterway could further disrupt global energy supplies. Saudi Arabia’s oil exports are already being affected by the major problems in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Houthi militia had previously announced a blockade against Saudi Arabia. This heightened fears that the Red Sea – an alternative route for energy exports – could be at risk whilst disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persist. Some shipowners reacted immediately and ordered vessels on the route to turn back.
“We’ll see what happens. It hasn’t happened yet. It may well happen, but we’re looking after things,” said Trump in his usual manner in Washington. “Should something like that happen, we’ll take care of it.”
“We’ve had no problems with the Houthis”
He pointed out that the US had taken action against the Houthis before, for example during a military operation against the militia aimed at restoring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. “We had no problems with the Houthis (after the operation). For their part, they haven’t had any problems with us for a long time, not even during this conflict,” he said. “I think that should such a situation arise, we’ll simply have to deal with it.”
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Pete Hegseth warned that should Iran attack merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the US would strike back “ten times harder”.
