Trump says he received assurances from the Houthis that they do not want to fight the U.S.

The Yemeni Houthis from the rebel movement Ansar Allah have assured Washington that they do not want to fight the United States, American President Donald Trump said, answering reporters' questions at a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in Dublin.

"The Houthis called us. They don't want to fight us. They let us know that," the American leader said. "They don't want me to go after them." Trump stated that "there is only one country they are not too happy with," apparently referring to Saudi Arabia. The U.S. president promised to "settle this matter."

Earlier, the Axios portal reported, citing sources, that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud called Trump twice on September 10 and asked him to strike Houthi positions. The U.S. president refused Saudi Arabia direct military assistance, pointing out that at the current stage the priority for the United States is countering Iran and opening the Strait of Hormuz.

Commenting on that publication on Saturday, Trump called the crown prince his "good friend." "I can only say that everything will be fine," the American president said.

The situation in Yemen sharply escalated in early September, when the Yemeni rebel movement went on the offensive in the southwest of the country. Simultaneously with the ground offensive, the Houthis began launching strikes with missiles and drones on the coastal areas of the Red Sea and the outskirts of the city of Taiz, seeking to cut off routes to the city of Mokha and advance toward areas located near the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Source: TASS