Trump Announces Ceasefire Deal With Houthis To End Red Sea Attacks

President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced an immediate halt to U.S. airstrikes on Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis after the group agreed to stop targeting international shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The ceasefire deal, brokered by Oman, comes nearly two months after the U.S. launched “Operation Rough Rider,” a military campaign that included over 2,000 munitions dropped on more than 1,000 Houthi targets since March 15.

Trump said the Houthis had communicated through “a very good source” that they no longer wanted to fight and would stop attacking ships.

“They said please don’t bomb us anymore and we’re not going to attack your ships,” Trump told reporters during an Oval Office meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. “And we will take their word.”

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi confirmed the ceasefire on social media, saying both sides had agreed not to target each other, including American vessels.

Qatar and Kuwait welcomed the move, calling it a positive step toward restoring freedom of navigation through the Red Sea, which carries about 15% of global trade.

However, the Houthis said the agreement with the U.S. would not affect their stance toward Israel.

Video Credits: Times News/YouTube

Houthi leader Mahdi al-Mashat stated the group would continue supporting Palestinians in Gaza, and Houthi-run Al Masirah TV issued a threat to Israeli citizens, urging them to seek shelter.

On Sunday, a Houthi missile hit near Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, leading to Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Hodeidah port and Sanaa airport in the following days. Israel wasn’t informed about the U.S.-Houthi deal and isn’t part of it.

U.S. officials confirmed the military had spent over $750 million on munitions alone in the campaign, excluding costs for naval operations.

The Houthis destroyed seven U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drones and caused the loss of an F/A-18 fighter jet during the strikes.

Although Trump described the agreement as a way to bring back commercial safety in the region, analysts pointed out that the Houthis had already stopped attacking commercial ships since December 2024.

Between November 2023 and January 2025, the group had targeted over 100 vessels, sinking two and killing four sailors.

Trump did not clarify whether Britain, a key partner in earlier strikes, was also part of the ceasefire. Rights groups have criticised the airstrikes for causing civilian casualties, including a suspected U.S. strike in late April that killed 68 migrants in Yemen.

References: Reuters, TOI

Source: Maritime Shipping News