Trump weighs Iran strikes as Houthi advance threatens wider war

The rapid advance of Houthi forces in Yemen and their attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten to draw the U.S. into a wider conflict in the region. President Donald Trump walks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House in Washington on Nov. 18, 2025. Saudi Arabia has reportedly grown frustrated with Trump’s reluctance to confront Iran-backed Houthi militants, who have repeatedly attacked the kingdom, as the administration weighs a potential military response in Yemen. (Evan Vucci/AP) As President Donald Trump weighed whether to escalate the war with Iran, the rapid advance of Houthi forces in Yemen and their attacks on Saudi Arabia threaten to draw the U.S. into a wider conflict in the region amid Riyadh’s pleas for help.

Trump, who previously vowed to destroy Iran’s “whole civilization,” told Fox News on Sunday that he was “in deciding mode” and asking himself “if and when do I blow the entire nation up?” “They better behave,” Trump warned, saying he would be open to meeting with Iran’s president on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly this week to discuss Tehran’s demands for ending the nearly seven-month war. Trump’s comments came hours after the State Department issued a security alert warning U.S. citizens in the Middle East to be more vigilant and to look out for potential flight