'Blindsided': Experts say Trump threw major ally 'under the bus' with off-the-cuff remark

President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that Houthi rebels in Yemen "don't want to fight anymore," but that may be news to Israel, which has been engaging in retaliatory bombing of Yemen's main airport.

According to The New York Times, Tuesday's strikes that killed at least three people and injured more than 30, "came days after the Iran-backed Houthi militia fired a missile that struck near Israel’s main airport."

During a question-and-answer session with reporters in the Oval Office with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Trump said, "The Houthis have announced that they are not, or they announced to us at least, that they don't want to fight anymore... but, more importantly, we will take their word."

Trump continued, "They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore and that's what the purpose of what we were doing... so that's just news we just found out about that."

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Amit Segal, who is described as "one of Israel top political commentators that is very close to [Israel's prime minister]" posted to social media, "Trump’s announcement that the US will stop attacking the Houthis is a resounding message to the entire region: attack Israel, just leave us Americans alone. If I were Iranian, that’s how I’d interpret it."

Israeli intelligence veteran Nadav Pollak wrote on X, "I’m sure Netanyahu feels blindsided tonight."

Ben Friedman of the Defense Priorities think tank posted, "Today Trump says Houthis capitulated so we'll stop bombing them. But yesterday the Houthis said they were expanding attacks on Israel. So either Trump is BSing or the US is throwing Israel under the bus by leaving them to deal with Houthis as long as they lay off shipping?"

Journalist Brian Krassenstein wrote that moments after Trump's statement, "the Houthis denied this and said that Trump's statement is not accurate. What a s--- show."

CNN's Juliette Kayyam, claimed, "The Israelis were apparently surprised."

Geopolitical risk analyst Gregory Brew wrote, "Declaring 'mission accomplished' and claiming Houthis have 'capitulated' after the US spent 2 month and approx. $1 billion to get the Houthis stop doing what they weren't doing anyway offers a glimpse into how this admin thinks about its foreign policy objectives."

Writer John Podhoretz wasn't buying any of it, writing, "You guys do realize Trump just made up that whole thing about the Houthis surrendering. Made it up. Out of thin air."