Trump pledges to ‘take care of’ Houthis if group blocks Saudi ships - Middle East crisis live
US President Donald Trump has warned that the US will take action against Houthi rebels if they block Saudi shipping lanes, while also discussing ongoing military operations in Iran and Iraq. Meanwhile, tensions remain high in Lebanon as the Lebanese army reports Israeli fire near its units.
Why it matters
These developments signal escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, involving multiple state and non-state actors.
US president Donald Trump said that the United States will continue attacks on Iran , while forecasting it would take the country more than 20 years to rebuild from current damage. “If we left right now, it would take Iran 20, 25 years to rebuild. Okay, and we’re not finished at all...we’re not leaving right now,” he told reporters during a White House meeting with Lebanese president Joseph Aoun.
Aoun urged Trump to maintain American support for his country’s military, warning that southern Lebanon could see a return of the chaos of the 1970s without Washington’s backing. “We don’t want to see that back again. All we’re asking is, keep supporting the LAF,” Aoun told reporters of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
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