U.S. President Donald Trump warned on the 21st (local time) that the United States would respond if the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen act on their threats to blockade Saudi Arabia's maritime transport and energy exports.

Speaking to reporters during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office, President Trump said, "It hasn't happened yet, but it could happen. But we will handle it well."

He added, "If it happens, we will deal with it. As you know, we have taken such actions against the Houthis in the past, and after the steps we took then, we didn't hear from them for a while."

This warning follows the Houthis’ declaration of a so-called "maritime blockade against the criminal Saudi enemy," raising concerns that instability will once again escalate in one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.

The threat also carries the risk of unraveling the ceasefire agreement mediated by Oman between the United States and the Houthi rebels in May 2025.

That agreement halted Houthi attacks on U.S. vessels, but excluded Israeli-linked ships passing through the Red Sea from its terms.

President Trump cited the success of the military operations his administration previously conducted against the Houthis, stating that they had restored deterrence after months of attacks on commercial vessels.

President Trump added, "It was a very strong operation we conducted against the Houthis for about 45 days, and since then, there have been no issues related to the Houthis at all," continuing, "They haven't caused any problems for us for a long time, including during this period of conflict. If something like that happens, we will just have to resolve the problem."

Between March and May 2025, the U.S. military conducted large-scale airstrikes targeting the Iranian-backed terrorist organization following repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The U.S. Department of War stated that it struck over 1,000 Houthi targets, including missile bases, drone facilities, military infrastructure, and senior militant leaders.

The Red Sea remains one of the most vital maritime routes in the world, through which approximately 15% of global maritime traffic passes.

Following an airstrike on Sanaa International Airport, Houthi forces blamed Saudi Arabia and issued their recent threats.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government, backed by Saudi Arabia, claimed responsibility for the attack. In response, the Houthis escalated tensions by launching an attack against the Saudi airport in Abha.

According to Newsmax, President Trump's remarks underscore his administration's resolve to keep critical maritime shipping lanes open and to deter Iranian-backed proxy forces from disrupting global trade and regional security.

U.S. NNP = Representative Reporter Hong Sung-gu / Special Dispatch NNP info@newsandpost.com