Bipartisan House group expresses ‘serious concern’ about U.S.-Houthi deal
The lawmakers said that the deal leaves Israel vulnerable, fails to address core issues and sends a message of weakness to the world
MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images
Military spokesman of Yemen's Houthi group Yahya Saree addresses a rally in solidarity with Palestinians and the Gaza Strip and in condemnation of Israel and the US, in the capital Sanaa on May 2, 2025.
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers blasted the Trump administration over its deal to cease attacks on the Houthis in Yemen, a ceasefire agreement that does not include any provisions requiring the Iran-backed terrorist group to end its attacks on Israel.
The letter led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Don Bacon (R-NE) to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is serving as acting national security advisor, is a new indication of congressional concern about the deal with the Houthis, which was met with skepticism by multiple Senate lawmakers when it was first announced.
“We are writing to express our serious concern over the agreement reached on May 6 with the Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, which halts U.S. strikes against Houthi targets without addressing the threat to Israel. Shortly after the announcement, the Houthis declared their intent to continue targeting Israeli civilians, despite the agreement with the United States,” the letter reads. “This decision leaves Israel dangerously vulnerable and fails to confront the broader threat posed by Iran’s proxy network.”
The lawmakers said that the agreement, which came days after the Houthis struck Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport complex, “sends the wrong message to both our allies and adversaries: that U.S. resolve is negotiable and that aggression against our allies will go unpunished by the United States.”
The deal, they continued, “fails to address the root of the problem: Iran’s supply of advanced weapons, intelligence, and training to the Houthis. Without a strategy that targets Tehran’s supply lines, any agreement with the Houthis is merely a tactical pause and leaves Israel exposed.”
The signatories called on the administration to work with Israel to “ensure that any diplomatic or military arrangements fully protect Israel’s security interests and do not embolden Iranian proxies.”
They demanded a briefing from the administration on its plans and strategy going forward. The lawmakers also asked for full details of the agreement — which Trump characterized as a handshake deal — plans for how the U.S. will work with Israel, an assessment of the Houthis’ continued capacity to target Israel and a report on Iran’s supply chain to the Houthis.
Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Greg Stanton (D-AZ) also signed the letter.