Trump admin sees escalating risk from Houthis, prompting wave of warnings

The Trump administration now assesses that Houthi attacks pose a broad, escalating threat to Americans in the Middle East, prompting an unprecedented decision by the State Department to issue urgent warnings about the Iranian-backed rebel group across a dozen countries in the region, U.S. officials told ABC News.

While the department has been notifying U.S. nationals in Saudi Arabia about the risk of Houthi attacks for weeks, U.S. embassies in Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar and the UAE issued coordinated security alerts on Sunday, advising Americans that hostilities involving Houthi militants "have the potential to escalate rapidly" beyond areas that have been impacted so far. 

The U.S. mission to Yemen and its virtual embassy for Iran also issued identical messages. 

"We are actively warning U.S. citizens about the very real threat the Houthis pose and urging them to heed official guidance. These alerts are part of a proactive effort by the Trump administration to ensure Americans are aware of potential risks," State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary for Press Edgar Vasquez said in a statement to ABC News. 

The heightened concern comes as Saudi Arabia has struggled to defend against deadly missile and drone strikes on energy and aviation targets, such as an attack on Riyadh's main international airport earlier this month that claimed that killed 13 people, including an American citizen. 

The U.S. embassy in Saudi Arabia has been issuing near-daily alerts to Americans traveling in the country, advising on Monday that they should "be aware of potential attacks on airports, airspace closures, flight cancellations, and travel disruptions" and "take extreme caution if you choose to use airports in Saudi Arabia." 

Saudi Arabia has also displayed signs of growing alarm, postponing a major annual investment conference commonly referred to as "Davos in the Desert" due to the security environment. 

While Saudi-led forces have carried out significant air and ground operations against the Houthis in Yemen, these campaigns have not curtailed incoming attacks. On Monday, a spokesperson for the rebel group claimed it launched multiple strikes against Saudi targets. 

Riyadh is actively trying to court regional support for its fight against the Houthis, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman previously appealed to President Trump for support. 

The U.S. has been providing Saudi Arabia with significant targeting assistance and intelligence support. But so far Trump has declined to order direct U.S. military intervention, as sources say the administration has been wary of opening a second front in the Middle East while the conflict with Iran remains unsettled. 

Last week, Trump told ABC News that the Houthis were "behaving very badly," but did not say whether he would change his mind on ordering strikes against the rebel group. 

The Houthis are a Shiite political and military organization that took form as an opposition force to the Yemeni government.

In 2011, the Houthis played a major role in sparking the Yemeni Revolution, which was born out of a wave of anti-government protests and uprisings known as the Arab Spring.

The revolution forced a transfer of power, but the Houthis were displeased with the newly installed leaders and in 2014 the group took control of Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, prompting an ongoing civil war that has ravaged the country.

A Saudi-led coalition first intervened in the conflict in 2015 with the stated goal of restoring the former rulers to power. A UN-brokered truce was reached in 2022, resulting in relative calm until mid-2026. 

Amid broader regional tensions, the Houthis resumed attacks against Saudi Arabia in July. In September, the group launched a ground campaign that resulted in significant initial territorial gains across western Yemen, triggering a counter-offensive by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.