Trump says Yemen-based Houthi rebels have capitulated

During an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, President Donald Trump revealed that he has ordered a stop to missile strikes in Yemen against the Houthi terrorist organization. Trump said that the Houthis approached the administration last night and said they didn’t want to fight anymore. The United States will honor that, Trump said.

What was the administration’s policy toward the Houthis? In March, the Trump administration reversed a Biden administration policy and re-designated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. The Houthis have been firing missiles at Israel since Hamas’ deadly attack on Oct. 7, 2023. It has also been striking ships in the Red Sea. In March, the Trump administration launched large-scale attacks on the group in Yemen in an effort to reopen shipping lanes. The bombings have continued for two months. According to U.S. Central Command, the operation has struck 800 targets and killed hundreds of Houthis.

What else did Trump say? The president is slated to take his first formal international visit later on Monday to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. He teased an important Middle East announcement in the coming days. In discussion with Carney, Trump again floated the idea of making Canada the 51st state. Carney said Canada is not for sale. Trump replied that Carney should never say never. He told reporters that he has not yet met with China on tariff talks but that the administration is renegotiating trade deals with dozens of countries. He said he is not inclined to relieve tariffs on Canada after a previous meeting with Carney on Tuesday.

Dig deeper: Read my report about how Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s private chats about the strikes in Yemen have landed him in hot water.