President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S.would "take care of things" if Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis follow through on threats to impose a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, as his administration reportedly backed Riyadh's renewed military campaign against the group.His comments came after the Houthis announced a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia Monday, only days after Saudi forces struck Sanaa International Airport and after Iran reportedly instructed the group to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the U.S.
attacks Iranian power infrastructure.TRUMP THREATENS TO EXPAND STRIKES ON IRAN, SAYS POWER PLANTS ARE NEXT TO GO: 'HIT THEM HARD'"So far, it hasn't happened, might happen, but we take care of things," Trump said in the Oval Office."If something like that happens, we take care of it."President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" in Iran, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.
(Al Drago/Getty Images)Saudi forces targeted Sanaa International Airport on Monday after an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying Houthi officials back from Iran was forced to divert, according to Axios.A U.S.
official told the outlet the aircraft was believed to be carrying weapons, missile components and Iranian military personnel intended for the Houthis.Trump's warning comes as the administration has expanded military operations against Iran while the Houthis threaten to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea.The developments have fueled concerns that Washington could become increasingly involved in efforts to secure one of the world's most important maritime trade corridors while simultaneously confronting Tehran in the Persian Gulf.The prospect of simultaneous disruption at the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb has become one of the biggest concerns for global shipping markets: together, the routes normally carry roughly one-third of global seaborne oil trade and serve as critical arteries for energy shipments between the...