CNN
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President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that the US would “stop the bombings” against the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen, after the Houthis told the US that “they don’t want to fight anymore.”
“We will honor that, and we will stop the bombings,” Trump said from the Oval Office, sitting next to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. He was referring to the military campaign the US has been carrying out against the Houthis since mid-March in response to the group’s attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Israel.
“They have capitulated but more importantly, we will take their word…they say they will not be blowing up ships anymore,” Trump said.
A defense official confirmed to CNN that the US military had been instructed on Monday night to stand down on the strikes against the Houthis.
Israel has been striking targets in Yemen this week, in response to the Houthis firing a ballistic missile on Sunday that hit Israel’s main airport.
Trump’s announcement on Tuesday came after a flurry of diplomatic activity in recent days between the US, Oman, and the Houthis, according to people familiar with the matter. The understanding between the US and the Houthis not to attack each other is aimed at building momentum for Iran nuclear deal talks, the people said. The timing of the fourth round of Iran nuclear deal talks between the US and Iran remains unclear.
In remarks in the Oval Office, Trump instructed his secretary of state and national security adviser Marco Rubio to “let everybody know.” Rubio described the understanding as “an important development.”
President Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff has been leading on the Iran talks, and worked to broker a ceasefire with the Houthis over the last week, the sources said. They added that the talks were facilitated by the Omanis, who in years past have routinely served as intermediaries between the US and the Houthis.
The stand down is expected to serve as momentum towards the overall US-Iran talks over an Iran nuclear deal, people familiar said.
The talks with the Houthis were spurred most directly by a post on X by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who wrote last week that Iran “will pay the CONSEQUENCE at the time and place of our choosing” if they continue their “lethal support to the Houthis.”
“We know exactly what you are doing,” Hegseth wrote. “You know very well what the U.S. Military is capable of.”
The pause in the US military operation against the Houthis comes as the campaign has struggled since its inception. In just seven weeks, the militants have successfully shot down at least seven multi-million-dollar American drones, hindering the US’ ability to move into “phase two” of the operation, multiple US officials familiar with the matter told CNN. The impact of the strikes on the Houthis’ operations was also limited, officials previously told CNN, as they proved surprisingly resilient.
CNN has asked the Houthis for comment.
It’s unclear what the ceasefire between the US and the Houthis means for Israel, which has engaged in days of escalating fighting with the Iran-backed rebel group. For months, the Houthis have launched ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, most of which are intercepted by Israel’s air defense systems. And Israel has carried out several strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
But a missile on Sunday penetrated Israel’s missile shield and struck near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport, the first missile to land so close to a critical national asset.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to respond, saying it would not be “one and done.” On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a series of strikes against the port of Hodeidah in Yemen and a nearby cement factory.
Then on Tuesday, the IDF carried out an even larger campaign of strikes, with the military saying it has “fully” disabled Yemen’s international airport and targeted “several” power plants. Houthi leader Mohammed al-Bukhaiti promised retaliation against the Israelis, telling Al Arabiya TV on Tuesday, “We will meet escalation with escalation.”
CNN has reached out to the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office for comment.
CNN’s Oren Liebermann has contributed to this report.
