In Israel, officials were stunned by US President Donald Trump’s Oval Office announcement on Tuesday night, stating that his administration had reached an agreement with the Houthis, under which they would cease attacks on ships in the Red Sea, and the US would halt its strikes against them.
“We were completely shocked. Israel was not informed before Trump made the statement,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post.
The presidential announcement doubly surprised Israel, as it came just hours after the US military provided a protective security umbrella for an Israeli strike in Yemen, safeguarding against any potential mishaps during the operation.
How Trump’s America First Policy applies to Houthi ceasefire
“America First” was Trump’s election promise, and this principle appears to be applied in the Houthi agreement.
The administration’s concern, which prompted strikes on thousands of Houthi targets, was not their attacks on Israel but their blockade of the Red Sea, which disrupted the US economy. Once maritime tranquility was secured, Trump considered the matter resolved, even if it meant allowing a brutal terrorist regime, now free to rearm, to persist.
Israel’s exclusion from prior notification and the agreement’s terms should serve as a wake-up call, especially as the US engages Iran on its nuclear program. It seems clear that Israeli and American interests do not always align. Who can guarantee that an Iran deal deemed favorable by Trump will be viewed similarly in Jerusalem?
This week, Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s envoy to the Trump administration, will travel to Washington for talks ahead of President Trump’s visit. Meanwhile, Trump is officially scheduled to visit three Middle Eastern countries to sign major deals, with no current plans to visit Israel – unless Israel’s pressure and requests prompt a change.
Netanyahu insists that Israel is in constant coordination with the US and that Washington keeps Israel updated, including through channels like special envoy Steve Witkoff and Dermer.
However, this time, Washington kept Israel in the dark, raising suspicions that this may not be the first – or last – instance of the Trump administration concealing information from Israel.
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