WASHINGTON D.C Sept 20, 2026 – President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States is in constant communication with Yemen’s Houthis and that the Iran-backed group has agreed not to target Americans.
Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported that he spoke directly with Trump, who stated Washington remains “in constant communication with the Houthis and that they’ve agreed not to fight the United States.” The comments came as rumors circulated that the U.S. might strike the group after Trump unexpectedly cut short a weekend at Camp David.
Trump made similar remarks on September 12 during a visit to Ireland, saying the Houthis had contacted the U.S. and “don’t want to fight with us” or have Washington “go after them.” Reports indicate contacts have largely been indirect and mediated by Oman, including talks in Muscat earlier in September. A Houthi official later confirmed the group is not targeting U.S. vessels or other nations in the Red Sea, with the exception of Saudi targets.
The statement arrives as the Houthis intensify a ground offensive inside Yemen, seizing territory from the internationally recognized government and advancing toward the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On Saturday, the group launched a ballistic missile toward Riyadh, the first reported attempt on the Saudi capital in the latest phase of fighting. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had recently urged Trump to authorize U.S. strikes against the Houthis; Trump declined.
U.S. officials have signaled no plans for offensive strikes on the Houthis. The development comes against the backdrop of a months-long U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran that began in late February. Trump told Yingst he is in “deciding mode” on Iran and weighing options that include further military action. The State Department separately warned that fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has the potential to escalate rapidly.
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