US halts Yemen airstrikes as Houthis agree to stop Red Sea shipping attacks; Israel tensions persist.
In a dramatic shift, the United States has agreed to immediately halt its air campaign in Yemen after the Iran-backed Houthi group pledged to cease attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The ceasefire, mediated by Oman, was confirmed during an Oval Office announcement by US President Donald Trump alongside Canadian PM Mark Carney.
Trump said, “The Houthis have capitulated… we will honour that and stop the bombings.” He added that no formal deal was signed but insisted he would take them at their word.
The agreement ensures freedom of navigation through the Red Sea, a key global shipping route recently disrupted by Houthi strikes, which had blocked access to the Suez Canal, responsible for 12% of global maritime trade. Oman’s foreign minister Badr al-Busaidi confirmed that neither side will target the other moving forward.
Despite this de-escalation, Houthi political leader Mahdi al-Mashat warned that attacks against Israel will continue, promising a response “beyond what the Israeli enemy can withstand.”
The ceasefire follows intensified US-UK airstrikes on Yemen, which the Pentagon says hit over 1,000 Houthi targets, including missile and UAV sites. However, the raids have led to high civilian casualties, including:
- 68 dead in a strike on a migrant detention center
- 80 killed, 150 wounded in an April 18 raid on Ras Isa fuel port
In response to a Houthi missile that landed near Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport, Israel launched retaliatory strikes, claiming to have completely destroyed Sana’a airport, including three Yemenia Airlines planes. Civilian infrastructure, including a cement factory and power station, was also hit, killing 3 and injuring 38.
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, condemned the escalation, calling it a “grave threat” to regional stability.
Israel’s defence minister blamed Iran for orchestrating the Houthis’ involvement, calling Tehran the “head of the octopus.”
As hostilities pause between the US and Houthis, the risk of broader conflict still looms, especially with Houthi-Israel tensions unresolved.
Source: Reuters
