President Donald Trump warned this Tuesday that the United States will take action if the Houthi rebels in Yemen follow through on their threat to impose a maritime blockade in the Red Sea, according to reported by the EFE agency.
The statements were made during a meeting at the White House with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, when a journalist asked the leader about his level of concern regarding a possible closure of that strategic route.
"Until now it has not happened. It could happen, but we will take care of the matter," Trump replied to the press.
The leader recalled that his administration has previously used force against the group and that the result was a long period of calm. "We carried out about 45 days of very strong actions against the Houthis, and we have had no problems with them," he stated.
The warning comes just one day after the Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, announced an immediate maritime embargo against vessels linked to Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, threatening to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait, which is only 32 kilometers wide between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
The commercial consequences are already being felt: at least six ships turned around in the first 24 hours following the Houthi warnings, and two Saudi oil tankers headed for China and India changed their course towards the Suez Canal.
A complete closure of Bab al-Mandeb could reduce global oil supply by 7%, given the volume of Saudi exports that transit through that route.
Saudi Arabia, a key ally of Washington, condemned the Houthi announcement on Monday and promised to take "all necessary measures" to protect its vessels.
This escalation represents the most severe confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis since both parties began a rapprochement process backed by the UN in 2022, which drastically reduced cross-border attacks without reaching a definitive peace agreement.
The breaking of that truce was triggered by the bombing of the airport in Sana'a on July 13, which the Houthis attributed to Saudi Arabia, although the internationally recognized Yemeni government admitted to carrying out the attack to prevent the landing of an Iranian plane transporting a Houthi delegation.
A blockade in the Red Sea would open a new front of regional tension at a delicate moment: the U.S. and Iran signed a peace agreement in June that included the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, but the Houthis, while allies of Tehran, are not part of that agreement and maintain their operational autonomy.
Trump ordered airstrikes against the Houthis in March 2025, in the first military action of his second administration, during a campaign lasting approximately 45 days that significantly reduced the group's activity.
At the same time, during the meeting with Aoun, Trump expressed his willingness to engage in dialogue with the Shiite group Hizbulá if the Lebanese president requested it. "If the president says he wants me to talk to Hizbulá, I will do so," declared the president, who emphasized that "he talks to everyone."
Regarding the situation in Lebanon, Trump stated that the Israeli Army is advancing in its withdrawal from southern Lebanon as part of the trilateral agreement signed on June 26 in Washington. However, on that same Tuesday, Israeli forces opened fire near a unit of the Lebanese Army in Zawtar al-Gharbiya, one of the areas from which Israel had committed to withdraw.
"I just found out about that right before this meeting, so we'll discuss it," Trump said regarding the incident.
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