US president says Turkish counterpart Erdogan would "do as I ask" on potential Turkish role against Houthis • US to make decision on Iran 'very soon,' Trump says
Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi terrorists are deliberately trying to drive up oil prices ahead of the US midterm elections, US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday.
"The Houthis are behaving very badly," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post, accusing the group of resuming attacks at Iran's behest after a period of relative quiet following US strikes in Yemen last year.
The president warned he would "never forget" the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
Trump also made clear that his warning would extend beyond the November 3 midterm elections, saying, "I’ll be there after the elections, and I will never forget!"
The warning followed a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including strikes on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport that have killed at least 13 people, wounded more than 300 and forced the closure of the airport.
The Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have been fighting the Saudi-backed Yemeni government in a civil war since 2014. The conflict has intensified amid the eight-month US-Iran war, with the group escalating attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait.
The renewed attacks have raised concerns about disruptions to global oil supplies and shipping routes, threatening to push energy prices higher
Trump refused to say if the US will strike the terror group in his remarks to reporters on Tuesday as he prepared to board Marine One for the first leg of a trip to Wasilla, Alaska, for a campaign rally ahead of the US midterm elections.
Trump: Erdogan would 'do as I ask' on Turkish role against Houthis
Speaking to reporters outside the White House shortly before boarding Marine One for Joint Base Andrews on Tuesday, Trump told reporters he "might" ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to intervene in support of Saudi interests.
"President Erdogan, I think, would do as I ask," Trump said.
Asked about the possibility of involving Turkey in diplomatic efforts, Trump praised his relationship with the Turkish leader and suggested Erdogan would be receptive to a request from Washington.
"He's a great friend of mine, as you know, and I might do that," Trump said. "I have a lot of respect for the president of Turkey."
The president did not specify what he might ask Erdogan to do, leaving the precise nature of any potential Turkish involvement unclear.
Trump also confirmed he spoke with Saudi officials but declined to disclose the contents of those conversations. "You really think I can tell you that?" Trump asked a reporter who asked about the issue. "I'd love to tell you, but I'm not gonna tell you that."
Trump says US to make decision on Iran 'very soon'
Trump further discussed the issue of Iran, saying that the US would make a decision on the matter "very soon."
"Iran is a failed country," said Trump. "They have no economy, they have 300% inflation, they have no money, they're not paying their troops, they're not paying anybody."
He added that the US controls the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that "a lot of oil is coming out" of the international waterway.
Reuters contributed to this report.