US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has clarified that the United States is not required to seek Israel’s approval before negotiating a deal with the Iran-backed Houthi militia. Huckabee’s comments come after a surprise announcement by US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, confirming a bilateral ceasefire agreement between Washington and the Houthi rebels.
“The United States isn’t required to get permission from Israel to make some type of arrangement that would get the Houthis from firing on our ships,” Huckabee said during an interview, addressing concerns over the controversial ceasefire deal.
The announcement has taken the Israeli government by surprise, as officials in Tel Aviv expressed dissatisfaction over not being consulted before the deal’s disclosure. Huckabee, however, explained that his understanding of US policy was based on recent discussions with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
“Here’s what I can tell you, because I had a conversation with both the president and the vice president last night,” Huckabee revealed, adding that the US would intervene if American citizens in Israel were targeted. “700,000 Americans are living in Israel. If the Houthis want to continue doing things to Israel and they hurt an American, then it becomes our business,” Huckabee emphasised.
When asked if the US would only respond if a US citizen was harmed by a Houthi missile, Huckabee responded, “It’s a matter of what becomes our immediate business.”
The Houthis have expressed consistent support for Hamas-led resistance against Israel since the October 7 attacks. Their attacks on commercial ships were paused six months ago, partly due to the rerouting of shipping.
However, hostilities resumed following the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire in early March. In recent weeks, tensions between Israel and the Houthis have escalated, with several ballistic missile strikes launched towards Israel in solidarity with Palestinian casualties in Gaza.
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