Trump warns Houthis after shipping blockade threat: 'We take care of things'

President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. would "take care of things" if Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis follow through on threats to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, as his administration reportedly backed Riyadh's renewed military campaign against the group.

His comments came after the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia Monday, only days after Saudi forces struck Sanaa International Airport and after Iran reportedly instructed the group to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the U.S. attacks Iranian power infrastructure.

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"So far, it hasn't happened, might happen, but we take care of things," Trump said in the Oval Office. "If something like that happens, we take care of it."

Saudi forces targeted the airport Monday after an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying Houthi officials back from Iran was forced to divert, according to Axios. A U.S. official told the outlet the aircraft was believed to be carrying weapons, missile components and Iranian military personnel intended for the Houthis.

Trump's warning comes as the administration has expanded military operations against Iran while the Houthis threaten to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea. The developments have fueled concerns that Washington could become increasingly involved in efforts to secure one of the world's most important maritime trade corridors while simultaneously confronting Iran in the Persian Gulf.

The prospect of simultaneous disruption at the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb has become one of the biggest concerns for global shipping markets: Together, the routes normally carry roughly one-third of global seaborne oil trade and serve as critical arteries for energy shipments between the Middle East, Europe and Asia, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data.

The Houthis already have shown they can disrupt one of the world's busiest shipping corridors. Since late 2023, the group has carried out more than 190 attacks on commercial shipping, forcing major carriers to abandon the Red Sea route in favor of the far longer trip around Africa.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought Trump's approval before launching the latest strikes against the Houthis — and that approval was granted, according to the Axios report.

The White House could not be reached for comment. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command declined to comment.

For years, the Houthis have evolved into one of Iran's most effective regional partners, allowing Iran to pressure global commerce while avoiding a direct military confrontation with the United States or its allies. The group has repeatedly launched missiles and drones at commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, disrupting international shipping and forcing vessels to reroute around southern Africa.

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Although direct fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis largely subsided following a U.N.-brokered truce in 2022, the group continued expanding its missile, drone and maritime capabilities with Iranian support. The exchange of Saudi airstrikes and Houthi missile attacks marked the most significant cross-border escalation between the two sides in roughly four years.

Bridget Toomey, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, said the latest escalation was driven by Saudi concerns that Iran and the Houthis were attempting to establish a dangerous new status quo by opening a direct air link between Tehran and Houthi-controlled Sanaa.

She said such flights would create an easier route for Iran to move weapons, drones and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps advisers into Yemen, posing a threat not only to Saudi Arabia but also to broader U.S. and international security interests.

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"A direct air connection between Tehran and Sanaa would be a serious threat, not just to the international community, but also to Saudi Arabia," Toomey told Fox News Digital.

Rather than signaling a return to the yearslong Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, Toomey described Riyadh's response as "a measured escalation" intended to demonstrate it would not allow such an air bridge to become normalized.

That objective appeared to shape one of Saudi Arabia's most consequential strikes this week.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, is one of the world's busiest maritime choke points. Nearly 15% of global seaborne trade passes through the corridor each year, making it a critical route for commercial shipping and energy supplies moving between Asia and Europe.

The latest threat comes as commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has also faced disruption amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. While the two waterways are separated by hundreds of miles, together they form the principal maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf with Europe. Serious disruption to both would place additional pressure on global energy exports, increase shipping costs and deepen supply chain disruptions.

Toomey said the Houthis occupy a unique position within Iran's regional network because of where they are located.

"They're crucial to Iran's broader ability to expand the conflict," she said. "Iraqi militias or Hezbollah don't sit on a maritime choke point."

Still, she cautioned against viewing the Houthis simply as an extension of Tehran, noting that Iran's command and control over the group has historically been less direct than its relationships with some of its other proxy organizations.

Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, said Trump's backing of the Saudi operation and his latest warning to the Houthis point to an administration willing to support regional allies while confronting Iranian-backed groups that threaten maritime commerce.

"The Iranians are trying to project power. The president is supportive of any effort to limit that projection," Roman told Fox News Digital.

Roman said the airport strike reinforced Saudi Arabia's long-running effort to prevent Iran from establishing a direct supply corridor into Houthi-controlled Yemen.

"We're certainly not going to allow you to have any shipments to reinforce the Houthis," he said.

If the campaign continues with Washington's backing, it would place one of Iran's most strategically valuable regional partners under renewed military pressure while increasing the cost of Tehran's broader effort to project power across the Middle East.