Trump halts planned airstrikes on Houthis and opens door to Iran talks

Aborted military strikes on Houthi targets

United States military forces prepared to strike Houthi positions in Yemen, approving a target list and loading aircraft munitions before President Donald Trump ordered a halt to the operation. The planned operation followed a Thursday telephone conversation in which Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked the American administration to intervene after repeated attacks on Saudi territory. Trump initially authorized the military action before abruptly reversing course hours before execution. The decision leaves Washington balancing its partnership with Riyadh against a desire to avoid direct engagement with Houthi forces, who have avoided direct attacks on American personnel. In remarks to Fox News, Trump stated that Washington maintains constant communication with the Houthi movement, noting that the group had agreed not to target American forces.

Regional alerts and airfield strikes

Trump cut short his weekend at Camp David, arriving at the White House around 02:00 Italian time for military consultations regarding the conflict with Iran. The United States Department of State and regional embassies issued security advisories urging Americans outside the region to reconsider travel to and from the Middle East due to the risk of rapid escalation. Saudi coalition officials reported intercepting a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh at dawn, following a fire near the capital's international airport. The missile launch followed a Friday strike that hit an Italian Eurofighter parked at the Ta'if air base in Saudi Arabia, which hosts Italy's Task Force Arabia contingent.

The options are: annihilate Iran, let it go to economic ruin, or reach a deal.

Diplomatic schedule and midterm dynamics

The administration has indicated that any transition in military operations against Iran is unlikely before the United States midterm elections in November. Trump travels to New York for the United Nations General Assembly, where he is scheduled to meet with Gulf state officials on Tuesday to discuss next steps in the conflict. The president also indicated openness to a direct meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian after Tehran submitted terms to end hostilities. Additional scheduled diplomatic meetings in New York and Washington include discussions with Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and a subsequent White House visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Iranian demands and the Strait of Hormuz

In Tehran, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf addressed lawmakers, stating that Iran must conduct military operations and diplomatic talks simultaneously as the conflict approaches its seventh month. Ghalibaf confirmed that Iranian officials delivered seven preconditions for formal negotiations to American representatives through Pakistani and Qatari mediators. He stated that the Iranian military intends to strike with full force to establish leverage before consolidating gains through diplomatic channels. Ghalibaf also warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States fulfills all commitments demanded by Tehran.

This means that we must repel the enemy and inflict devastating blows by employing our full military power. However, once significant successes are achieved on the battlefield and when the enemy finds itself in a position of weakness, we must resort to diplomacy to consolidate those results.