Trump says Houthis are trying to raise oil prices before US election
The US president suggests the Yemen-based group is "deliberately trying to push up oil prices" ahead of the November vote.
US President Donald Trump has said that the Houthi rebel group in Yemen is stepping up its attacks on Saudi Arabia's infrastructure in an effort to raise energy prices ahead of the US midterm elections.
Trump said on Tuesday that the Houthis were behaving "very badly" and repeated his threat that the US could increase military strikes across the Middle East after the November election.
They [the Houthis] have been silent for a long time, but now they have re-emerged, probably at the behest of Iran, which is a failed country, with no navy, no air force, the worst economy in the world and 301% inflation, in a very unfavorable way, probably hitting Saudi Arabia, and already aiming to pressure America. said in a post on Truth Social. "Not good."
Trump's decision to launch a war against Iran with Israel in February has boosted energy prices and raised concerns about cost-of-living issues in the United States, where voters will soon decide whether the president's Republican Party will retain its majority in the House and Senate.
Democrats hope to capitalize on the president's unpopularity and voter frustration over the war and spending hikes to take control of one or both houses of Congress, allowing them to block Trump's legislative agenda for the remainder of his presidency.
Trump added on Tuesday that he would "never forget" the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, which appeared to threaten the United States. The military strikes followed the midterm elections, widely seen as a referendum on Trump's second term.
"Somebody has to explain to them [the Houthis] that I'm not participating in the elections, I've already won a landslide, but I'll be there after the elections and I'll never forget!" he said
Trump has dismissed the unfavorable polls as "fake" and cited the crowds at his political rallies as proof of his popularity.