US President Donald Trump said Sunday that the Houthis in Yemen have agreed not to attack the United States, despite the escalating confrontation between the Iranian-backed movement and Washington's ally, Saudi Arabia, according to Fox News.
The network's correspondent, Trey Yingst, who frequently speaks with Trump, quoted the president as saying that the United States is "in constant contact with the Houthis, and they have agreed not to fight the United States."
Trump had previously stated that the Houthis were refraining from attacking US forces in the region.
"The Houthis have called us, and they don't want to fight us," he said during a visit to Ireland on September 12, adding, "They don't want us to attack them."
But his latest remarks to Fox News come as Saudi Arabia, a close US ally, is under increasing pressure following a missile attack on Riyadh on Saturday.
The Houthis also launched a swift and widespread offensive inside Yemen, seizing territory previously held by the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.
Fox News reported that Trump is in a "decision-making phase" regarding Iran, where the United States and Israel launched a war on February 28, before the conflict entered a stalemate that has lasted for nearly seven months.
Yingst said Trump told him that "big things are going to happen in the not-too-distant future" and that "the Iranians have to behave," adding that the president is deciding "whether or not to blow up their country."
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