Trump says Iran is ‘failing badly’ as conflict in Yemen widens
US President Donald Trump on Friday left open the possibility of further military action against Iran as fighting intensifies in Yemen and Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia have led to a renewed offensive.
Asked why possible US military action against Iran might be delayed until after the 3 November midterm elections rather than carried out immediately, Trump told reporters: “Well, we may. I think we’ll see, but I think that, uh, they’re failing badly. Their country is failing badly."
"The military is defeated. They have no navy, they have no air force. Uh, they have 300 percent inflation and, uh, Iran is in very bad shape.”
The remarks, recorded in a transcript of Trump’s 9 October press briefing, did not include a specific timeline or details of what action Washington might take.
The US and Israel launched their war against Iran on 28 February. Tehran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region, while disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has threatened global energy supplies.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
The latest remarks come amid continuing regional tensions and uncertainty over efforts to halt the conflict, which has spilt over into Yemen, where Houthi forces have disrupted navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Trump also condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Asked about the strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, he said: “It’s not good. It’s not a good thing.”
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said three Saudi citizens were killed in two attacks on King Khalid International Airport and a Saudia aircraft on Thursday.
The authority did not identify those responsible, although Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed responsibility for a missile attack on the airport, according to the Associated Press.
The deaths came after attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport this week.
Saudi authorities reported three civilian deaths and 36 injuries in those incidents, according to Al Jazeera.
On Thursday, Yemeni government forces said that it had carried out “precise targeting operations” against Houthi military positions across several fronts as part of the ongoing “Dawn of Yemen” campaign.
Yemen war intensifies
The Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government said on Friday that it had carried out a large-scale military operation against Houthi forces, claiming to have destroyed 136 military targets in areas under the group’s control.
Yemeni military spokesman Brigadier General Majed Abdullah al-Nadhib said government forces had carried out more than 2,750 targeting operations against Houthi positions over the previous 24 hours.
He said that more than 1,400 Houthi fighters had been “neutralised” and that more than 250 military vehicles and pieces of equipment had been destroyed or damaged.
The escalation follows a renewed push by government-aligned forces to retake territory near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and along Yemen’s western coast.
The UN’s special envoy for Yemen warned on Friday that the country had returned to full-scale war, with fighting spreading across multiple front lines, according to the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs.
Saudi Arabia has urged the UN Security Council to address the escalation, warning that attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, alongside threats to maritime navigation, could have consequences beyond Yemen.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
