Trump is hands-off on Houthis and the Saudis aren't happy

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Defense & National Security Newsletter Trump is hands-off on Houthis and the Saudis aren’t happy by Ellen Mitchell - 09/16/26 6:25 PM ET Link copied by Ellen Mitchell - 09/16/26 6:25 PM ET Link copied NOW PLAYING Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Defense and National Security newsletter Subscribe Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & NatSec newsletter{beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Trump is hands-off on Houthis and the Saudis aren’t happyPresident Trump is taking a notably hands-off approach as Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen rapidly gain ground in their bid to secure a Red Sea choke point.© Abdulnasser Alseddik, Associated Press The Houthis’ advances could further roil global energy markets and box in Saudi Arabia, but Trump has reportedly rebuffed a request from Riyadh to launch strikes on the group. The U.S. has instead sent advisers to support the kingdom, which also saw key energy pipelines attacked in recent days. Vice President Vance said Monday that while the U.S. has been “keeping pretty close tabs” on the situation, officials are “going to keep on monitoring it, and making sure that America’s best interests are represented.” On Tuesday, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee insisted the fighting is “really not a big expansion” of the larger U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, noting the Houthis have refrained from hitting American targets. “In this case I don’t think it’s quite that bad,” Huckabee said of the Houthis’ actions on Newsmax. “What we do have is a for sure skirmish between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, but it has not really gone across the region. … That’s the good news.” The approach marks a stark contrast to the early days of the Trump administration, when the president in March 2025 ordered strikes on the Houthis in response to attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea — plans that were famously shared by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on a Signal chat that included The Atlantic’s editor in chief. But the U.S. is reluctant to step into the fray this time around, given its insistence that Washington has all but wrapped up its fighting with Tehran, a narrative to be further called into question should a new battleground open up, according to analysts. “War with the Houthis right now would counter [Trump’s] narrative that this conflict is essentially over,” said Jeffrey Feltman, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank. “It would be inconvenient to the reality he’s trying to project that there’s nothing to see there anymore, that the war is basically over. It’d be hard to sustain that narrative if you’re suddenly opening a second front,” he told The Hill. Read the full report at thehill.com. Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future: 2 Iowa GOP reps support Iran war powers resolution for first time Two Iowa Republicans backed a war powers resolution in the House over the conflict in Iran for the first time, a notable move for two members from the deep-red Hawkeye State as the midterms near. On Tuesday, the House passed a Democratic-backed war powers resolution with an aim to restrict President Trump’s military actions in Iran, the third time the lower chamber has passed such a measure. The House voted 220-204 in favor … Full Story Retired lieutenant general: US responding to ‘arms race in space’ that’s already underway Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula on Tuesday said the revelation that the U.S. has deployed weapons into space is in response to a space “arms race” that has “already been underway,” referring to similar efforts by Russia and China. Deptula told NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich on “Katie Pavlich Tonight” that Russia and China first made space “into a warfighting domain,” … Full Story Service members must meet weight, grooming standards for Hegseth event: Report The Pentagon is reportedly requiring troops to meet waist-to-height requirements and exhibit “impeccable” grooming standards in order to attend Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “State of the Force” address later this month. The Wall Street Journal published a report Tuesday which included emails from the Pentagon to Army commanders stating that troops must have “impeccable grooming and uniform standards (no exception)” to attend … Full Story Massie says he hid Hegseth impeachment resolution from GOP leaders Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) said Tuesday he kept his resolution to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth a secret from Republican leaders because he did not want to “show his hand.” The Kentucky Republican, who has been a frequent critic of the Trump administration’s military operations in Iran, introduced his resolution on the House floor Tuesday afternoon. “I didn’t want to show it to anybody,” he said during … Full Story In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: GOP senator presses Patel on FBI policy change: ‘Why would you get into bestiality?’ It’s not a topic often discussed in the halls of Congress, but Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) grilled FBI Director Kash Patel as he said he was just “trying to understand” a recent change in policy regarding bestiality. The line of questioning on Tuesday was sparked by a shift in FBI hiring practices … Full Story On Tap Tomorrow Events in and around the defense world: The Center for Strategic and International Studies will discuss “AUKUS at five: Progress, challenges and the way forward,” at 8 a.m. The Peterson Institute for International Economics will hold a conversation on “The state of the transatlantic security partnership,” at 9 a.m. The Middle East Institute will have a talk on “A strategy for Lebanon” at 9 a.m. The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a closed briefing on the implementation of the National Defense Strategy and its impact on global defense posture at 9:30 a.m. The Center for Strategic and International Studies will preview the upcoming Trump-Xi summit at 10 a.m. The Center for Strategic and International Studies also will discuss “Defending the homeland” at 5:30 p.m. What We’re Reading News we’ve flagged from other outlets: The U.S. is burning through its supply of interceptors to counter Iran’s attacks, The Wall Street Journal reports ‘The US can’t lose’: Pentagon plows ahead on AI despite warnings, Politico reports US troops must prepare to fight around the moon, Trump’s top military adviser says, The Associated Press reports Trending Today Two key stories on The Hill right now: Trump offers fiery response to Federal Reserve rate hike President Trump offered a fiery response to the Federal Reserve’s decision to hike interest rates on Wednesday, demanding instead that rates be drastically … Read more Kiley says he won’t caucus with GOP next year if reelected Independent Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.), a former Republican, said he will not caucus with Republicans next year if he wins reelection. “Congressman … Read more Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: How to fix NATO’s fatal flawUS must adopt the Finland model for producing warships 9/11 showed we must always be looking toward the next threat You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow! Add as preferred source on Google Tags Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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