Trump Returns To White House A Day Early Amid Houthi Strikes On Saudi Arabia, State Department Warning
President Donald Trump cut his weekend at Camp David short and headed back to the White House Saturday as Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched their a assault on Saudi Arabia.
Trump’s schedule was revised to bring him back Saturday evening aboard Marine One, with a landing set at the Ellipse and the press gathering called for 7 p.m. ET, according to a White House pool report filed by USA Today’s Joey Garrison. Official weekend guidance released to reporters had originally kept the president at the Maryland retreat through Sunday, with his return to Washington not planned until that afternoon.
His early exit came the same day Saudi Arabia acknowledged that the Iran-aligned Houthis had attempted to hit Riyadh with a ballistic missile, according to NBC News. The report, citing the Saudi-led coalition, said the strike on the capital was intercepted, though some residents reported hearing a blast and later spotted smoke drifting near the airport. No injuries or damage were confirmed. (RELATED: Houthi Territory Gains Threaten To Choke Off Saudi Oil, As Trump Refuses Call For Strikes)
The coalition said the rebels also went after targets in the port city of Yanbu along with Taif, Baysh and Farasan, all of which failed, NBC News reported. Houthi forces claimed without proof that they struck sensitive locations in the capital and set Aramco facilities on fire. The attempt on Riyadh was the first aimed at the capital since the fighting intensified.
Read more Survey Of Nation’s Mayors Details Impacts Of Affordability Crisis On Main Street
The U.S. Mission in Iraq issued a security alert cautioning Americans across the region. The notice said the Iranian-supported Houthis had carried out hostilities against Saudi Arabia, including civilian airports, and warned that the conflict could widen quickly. It advised travelers to brace for flight cancellations, airspace shutdowns and other disruptions.
Identical warnings went out the same day from U.S. diplomatic posts in Saudi Arabia and Jerusalem, each repeating that the State Department wants Americans worldwide to stay on guard. The alerts urged citizens to sign up for the government’s traveler enrollment program and to keep a low profile.
Washington has held back from direct combat despite the escalation. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressed Trump to strike the Houthis, but the president declined, agreeing instead to share intelligence and dispatch advisers to help the kingdom identify targets, The Hill reported.
Read more Ukraine Launches 1,000 Drones At Russia, Hits Oil Refinery, Residential Building
Post Comment