US President Donald Trump has claimed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels are intensifying assaults on Saudi Arabian infrastructure, aiming to raise energy costs before the US midterm elections. Trump made the claim on Tuesday, saying the group had been behaving “very badly” and repeating his warning that Washington could expand military attacks across the Middle East after the November vote.
In a post on Truth Social, he said the Houthis had been quiet for a long time before resurfacing, probably at the behest of Iran. He described Iran as a failing nation with no navy or air force, the world’s worst economy and 301 percent inflation, and called the Houthi conduct “NOT NICE.”
Energy prices and voter concerns over the war
Trump’s decision to launch a war on Iran with Israel in February has driven up energy prices and raised concerns about the cost of living in the US. Voters will soon decide whether his Republican Party keeps its majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Democrats hope to capitalise on the president’s unpopularity and frustration over the war and rising costs. Winning control of one or both chambers of Congress would let them block Trump’s legislative agenda for the rest of his time in office.
Trump warns of action after the midterms
Trump added that he would “never forget” the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, a remark widely seen as a hint of renewed US military action after the midterms, which are themselves seen as a referendum on his second term. He also said: “Somebody should explain to them that I’m not running in the Elections, I’ve already won, IN A MASSIVE LANDSLIDE, but I’ll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!”
Polling on the war and Trump’s response
Polls show the war is deeply unpopular, with a recent AP-NORC poll finding that nearly 70 percent of voters believe it was not worth fighting. Trump has dismissed unfavourable polls as “fake” and pointed to crowds at his political rallies as proof of his popularity.
