‘Misbehaving very badly’: Trump censures Houthis over escalating Saudi strikes

Washington: US President Donald Trump censured Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday for their intensifying military strikes against Saudi Arabia, stating that the faction was "misbehaving very badly".

“The Houthis are misbehaving very badly. No good,” Trump remarked to journalists when questioned regarding potential measures the United States might implement against the movement.

Asked whether the surge in Houthi attacks coincided with the upcoming US mid-term elections, Trump replied, “I don't know how it affects the election. I don't take that into account.”

“I just know Iran will never have a nuclear weapon...They're never going to have a nuclear weapon. But the Houthis are misbehaving,” he added.

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The comments follow a succession of strikes directed at Saudi infrastructure, encompassing incidents at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

Trump previously indicated that Washington would weigh joining Saudi military operations against the Houthis in the wake of the latest missile strike targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

“We just found out about the recent attack – we'll make a decision,” Trump informed reporters at the White House on Saturday, adding, “We're going to take a look.”

Regional diplomatic channels remained active as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi engaged in telephone discussions with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein, on Monday to review regional developments.

According to Al Jazeera, Hussein’s Telegram channel reported that the two diplomats conferred on shifting regional dynamics, including the deteriorating conflict in Yemen, where Houthi forces and the Saudi military have traded hostile fire.

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Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition announced on Tuesday that its air defences had intercepted and neutralized two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi militia toward the Khamis Mushait airbase, as the kingdom faces an escalating wave of attacks following lethal strikes on its aviation facilities in recent days.

In a statement posted on X, coalition spokesperson Turki Al-Maliki stated: "Interception and destruction of two ballistic missiles launched by the terrorist Houthi militia towards Khamis Mushait."

Saudi Arabia's Civil Defence agency had earlier issued a public warning urging inhabitants of the Khamis Mushait Governorate to maintain vigilance over potential aerial threats. In a follow-up message on X, the agency announced: "Alert: The danger has passed in Khamis Mushait Governorate. For your safety, continue following #CivilDefense instructions and avoid gathering and filming. In case of emergency, call (998)."

The interception came after Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree asserted that insurgent forces had struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile whilst executing a drone strike against the Khamis Mushait Air Base.

In a statement published on Telegram, Saree declared: "By the grace and help of God, our armed forces were able to target King Khalid International Airport in the enemy Saudi capital, Riyadh, this evening with a ballistic missile, and the strike was precise."

He further cautioned international carriers and passengers against scheduling flights to Saudi airfields, claiming they remained hazardous, with the exception of airspace and facilities serving the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.

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"In a related development, the armed forces carried out an operation targeting Khamis Mushait Air Base with a drone, and the strike was direct, thanks be to God," Saree added.

On October 10, 13 individuals—including an Indian citizen—lost their lives, and hundreds sustained injuries during a devastating strike on King Khalid International Airport. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) had earlier documented 12 fatalities and 309 injuries in an official release on October 11. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh subsequently verified the death of an Indian national who succumbed to injuries sustained in the attack.

The incident followed a series of strikes directed at King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport on October 6 and 7, which GACA reported resulted in three deaths and 36 injuries, forcing temporary suspensions of airport operations as safety inspections and damage assessments were carried out by relevant authorities.

ANI