The President of the United States, Donald Trump, noted this Saturday in Dublin that the Houthi rebels requested Washington to stay out of the offensive in the Bab el Mandeb area, an operation with which they have managed to seize this strategic enclave from the militias backed by Saudi Arabia.
"The Houthis called us. They don't want to fight with us. They made it clear that they don't want us to go after them. They are letting the ships pass," the American leader indicated in a statement to the media alongside Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
Referring to Iran, the main supporter of the Houthis, Trump emphasized that his country maintains control over the Strait of Hormuz. "We have firm control of the Strait of Hormuz. No one expected it to happen. About 25 ships are passing through per day on average," he highlighted.
Trump also linked the attack on the Saudi East-West pipeline to a possible action by Iran. "I think they are responsible. Probably," he stated when asked if Tehran was behind that aggression against the oil infrastructure.
Regarding the outcome of the open war with Iran, the American president suggested that it could conclude "very soon," "probably after the midterm elections" scheduled for November. "They are trying to hold on as long as they can to complicate the elections," he maintained.
Meanwhile, Houthi forces have consolidated their control over the area near the strategic maritime passage of Bab el Mandeb, considered one of the essential corridors for global maritime trade.