Ambassador Huckabee: U.S. Doesn’t Need Israel’s Permission to Cut Deal with Houthis

TEL AVIV — U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made clear that Washington does not require Israel’s approval to negotiate with the Houthis, after President Donald Trump announced a surprise bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group.

In a preview of an interview set to air this weekend on Israel’s Channel 12, Huckabee said, “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.”

The agreement, which reportedly does not halt Houthi attacks on Israel, has drawn scrutiny in Jerusalem. However, Huckabee indicated that American intervention would hinge on the safety of U.S. citizens, not Israeli strategic interests.

“There’s 700,000 Americans living in Israel,” Huckabee said. “If the Houthis want to continue doing things to Israel and they hurt an American, then it becomes our business.”

When pressed to clarify whether U.S. action would only follow if Americans were directly harmed, Huckabee replied, “It’s a matter of what becomes our immediate business.”

Huckabee said he spoke with both President Trump and Vice President JD Vance the night before the interview, underscoring the administration’s stance that America’s red lines are rooted in its own national interests — not external pressure.