Iran&rsquo;s Revolutionary Guards have vowed a &ldquo;decisive&rdquo; reaction to any attack, following US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s air strikes against Yemen&rsquo;s Houthi rebels. Trump also warned Tehran to &ldquo;end immediately&rdquo; its backing of the group.
<h2>US strikes and Trump&rsquo;s warning</h2>
Trump on Saturday announced that the US had launched &ldquo;decisive and powerful military action&rdquo; to counter the Houthis&rsquo; threat to Red Sea shipping. A Houthi health official reported that the strikes resulted in 31 deaths.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-revive-his-travel-ban-43-nations-on-the-chopping-block-including-russia-and-iran-8856103" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Trump to revive his travel ban: 43 nations on the chopping block, including Russia and Iran</a>
Trump also issued a direct warning to Tehran, stating, &ldquo;To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won&rsquo;t be nice about it!&rdquo;
<h2>Iran&rsquo;s response</h2>
Iran&rsquo;s Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami, dismissed Trump&rsquo;s warnings in a televised speech on Sunday. He said, &ldquo;Iran will not wage war, but if anyone threatens, it will give appropriate, decisive and conclusive responses.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-orders-decisive-military-action-against-houthi-rebels-in-yemen-8857353" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">Donald Trump's 'decisive' military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen kills 31</a>
Salami also defended the Houthis, calling them &ldquo;the representative of the Yemenis&rdquo; and insisting they make their &ldquo;strategic and operational decisions&rdquo; independently.
Earlier on Sunday, Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, condemned the US air strikes, calling them a &ldquo;gross violation of the principles of the UN Charter.&rdquo; 
Iran&rsquo;s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also criticised Washington&rsquo;s actions, saying, &ldquo;The United States Government has no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy.&rdquo;
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-urges-end-to-illegal-sanctions-on-iran-as-it-holds-constructive-nuclear-talks-in-beijing-8853550" rel="dofollow noopener" target="_blank">China urges end to 'illegal sanctions' on Iran as it holds 'constructive' nuclear talks in Beijing</a>
He further urged the US to stop &ldquo;the killing of Yemeni people&rdquo;, adding that &ldquo;the time when Washington could dictate Tehran&rsquo;s foreign policy ended in 1979&rdquo;, referring to the Islamic Revolution that ousted the Western-backed Shah.
The Houthis, who have controlled much of Yemen for over a decade, are part of the &ldquo;axis of resistance&rdquo;, a network of pro-Iran groups opposed to both Israel and the United States. Throughout the Gaza war, they have launched attacks on Israel and targeted Red Sea shipping, claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinians. Trump&rsquo;s latest military action marks the first US strikes on the Houthis since his return to office in January.
<h2>Trump-Iran tensions</h2>
The latest developments add to long-standing tensions between Trump and Tehran. In January 2020, during Trump&rsquo;s first term, the US killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran&rsquo;s elite Quds Force, in a drone strike in Baghdad.
Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-supreme-leader-khamenei-warns-us-president-donald-trump-against-making-unwise-threats-says-tehran-will-inflict-a-blow-8848103">&lsquo;Iran will retaliate&rsquo;: Khamenei warns Trump against making &lsquo;unwise&rsquo; threats, says &lsquo;will inflict a blow&rsquo;</a>
Iran retaliated days later by launching missiles at bases in Iraq hosting US and coalition forces. While no American personnel were killed, dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries, according to Washington.
<h2>Russia urges restraint</h2>
Meanwhile, Russia has called for de-escalation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, on Saturday, urging all parties to engage in political dialogue. Moscow reported that Lavrov &ldquo;stressed the need for an immediate cessation of the use of force&rdquo; to avoid further bloodshed.
Russia has previously condemned US and UK strikes on Yemen and has maintained diplomatic ties with the Houthis.
(With inputs from agencies)

World: Trump on Saturday announced that the US had launched “decisive and powerful military action” to counter the Houthis’ threat to Red Sea shipping. Middle East

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have vowed a “decisive” reaction to any attack, following US President Donald Trump’s air strikes against Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Trump also warned Tehran to “end immediately” its backing of the group. US strikes and Trump’s warning Trump on Saturday announced that the US had launched “decisive and powerful military action” to counter the Houthis’ threat to Red Sea shipping. A Houthi health official reported that the strikes resulted in 31 deaths. Also read: Trump to revive his travel ban: 43 nations on the chopping block, including Russia and Iran Trump also issued a direct warning to Tehran, stating, “To Iran: Support for the Houthi terrorists must end IMMEDIATELY! Do NOT threaten the American People, their President, who has received one of the largest mandates in Presidential History, or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!” Iran’s response Iran’s Revolutionary Guards chief, Hossein Salami, dismissed Trump’s warnings in a televised speech on Sunday. He said, “Iran will not wage war, but if anyone threatens, it will give appropriate, decisive and conclusive responses.” Also read: Donald Trump's 'decisive' military action against Houthi rebels in Yemen kills 31 Salami also defended the Houthis, calling them “the representative of the Yemenis” and insisting they make their “strategic and operational decisions” independently. Earlier on Sunday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baqaei, condemned the US air strikes, calling them a “gross violation of the principles of the UN Charter.” Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, also criticised Washington’s actions, saying, “The United States Government has no authority, or business, dictating Iranian foreign policy.” Also read: China urges end to 'illegal sanctions' on Iran as it holds 'constructive' nuclear talks in Beijing He further urged the US to stop “the killing of Yemeni people”, adding that “the time when Washington could dictate Tehran’s foreign policy ended in 1979”, referring to the Islamic Revolution that ousted the Western-backed Shah. The Houthis, who have controlled much of Yemen for over a decade, are part of the “axis of resistance”, a network of pro-Iran groups opposed to both Israel and the United States. Throughout the Gaza war, they have launched attacks on Israel and targeted Red Sea shipping, claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinians. Trump’s latest military action marks the first US strikes on the Houthis since his return to office in January. Trump-Iran tensions The latest developments add to long-standing tensions between Trump and Tehran. In January 2020, during Trump’s first term, the US killed Qassem Soleimani, the commander of Iran’s elite Quds Force, in a drone strike in Baghdad. Also read: ‘Iran will retaliate’: Khamenei warns Trump against making ‘unwise’ threats, says ‘will inflict a blow’ Iran retaliated days later by launching missiles at bases in Iraq hosting US and coalition forces. While no American personnel were killed, dozens suffered traumatic brain injuries, according to Washington. Russia urges restraint Meanwhile, Russia has called for de-escalation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke with his US counterpart, Marco Rubio, on Saturday, urging all parties to engage in political dialogue. Moscow reported that Lavrov “stressed the need for an immediate cessation of the use of force” to avoid further bloodshed. Russia has previously condemned US and UK strikes on Yemen and has maintained diplomatic ties with the Houthis. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran warns of ‘decisive’ response after Trump orders strikes on Houthis; Russia urges US to not use force in Yemen

United States conducted airstrikes&nbsp;in Yemen reportedly hitting&nbsp;three cities&nbsp;controlled by Yemen-based Houthi&nbsp;rebels, including the capital, Sanaa, and the port city of Hodeida, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV.

Al Masirah mentioned that multiple airstrikes took place in both Sanaa and Hodeida. There were also strikes in Dhamar, located south of Sanaa. However, the report did not confirm whether there were any casualties or damage caused by the attacks.

Houthi official Hashem Sharaf al-Din told Al Masirah that the strikes on the capital and other Yemeni regions after the solidarity marches supporting Lebanon and Gaza were nothing more than a futile attempt to frighten the Yemeni people. "Yemen will not be deterred by these attacks and will continue its steadfastness in confronting the enemies with all its strength,"&nbsp;he said.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/khamenei-in-first-public-address-in-5-years-calls-missile-attack-on-israel-legal-and-legitimate-764453">Khamenei, in rare address, calls missile attack on Israel 'legitimate'</a>

Since January, the United States and Britain&nbsp;have repeatedly targeted Houthi positions in Yemen, in response to rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

<h2>Israeli strikes on Houthi strongholds</h2>

Israel has also launched strikes on Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks. Last month, an Israeli airstrike on Hodeida resulted in the deaths of at least five people, after the rebels claimed responsibility for a missile strike on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/west-asia-crisis-hezbollahs-slain-leader-hassan-nasrallah-temporarily-buried-says-report-764442">'Hezbollah's slain leader Nasrallah temporarily buried in secret location'</a>

The most recent airstrikes occurred just one day after the Houthis said they carried out a drone attack on Tel Aviv. Israel's military said that it intercepted "a suspicious aerial target" over central Israel during the night.

On Wednesday, the Houthis stated they had launched cruise missiles at Israel, following a major bombardment of the country by Iran the previous night.

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

United States conducted airstrikes in Yemen reportedly hitting three cities controlled by Yemen-based Houthi rebels, including the capital, Sanaa, and the port city of Hodeida, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV.

United States conducted airstrikes in Yemen reportedly hitting three cities controlled by Yemen-based Houthi rebels, including the capital, Sanaa, and the port city of Hodeida, according to the Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV. Al Masirah mentioned that multiple airstrikes took place in both Sanaa and Hodeida. There were also strikes in Dhamar, located south of Sanaa. However, the report did not confirm whether there were any casualties or damage caused by the attacks. Houthi official Hashem Sharaf al-Din told Al Masirah that the strikes on the capital and other Yemeni regions after the solidarity marches supporting Lebanon and Gaza were nothing more than a futile attempt to frighten the Yemeni people. "Yemen will not be deterred by these attacks and will continue its steadfastness in confronting the enemies with all its strength," he said. Also read: Khamenei, in rare address, calls missile attack on Israel 'legitimate' Since January, the United States and Britain have repeatedly targeted Houthi positions in Yemen, in response to rebel attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Israeli strikes on Houthi strongholds Israel has also launched strikes on Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks. Last month, an Israeli airstrike on Hodeida resulted in the deaths of at least five people, after the rebels claimed responsibility for a missile strike on Israel's Ben Gurion Airport. Also read: 'Hezbollah's slain leader Nasrallah temporarily buried in secret location' The most recent airstrikes occurred just one day after the Houthis said they carried out a drone attack on Tel Aviv. Israel's military said that it intercepted "a suspicious aerial target" over central Israel during the night. On Wednesday, the Houthis stated they had launched cruise missiles at Israel, following a major bombardment of the country by Iran the previous night. (With inputs from agencies) Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, Syria, Iraq and non-state actors like Islamic State, among others. In this context, claims and counterclaims are being made online and offline. WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.

US airstrikes target rebel-held cities in Yemen, including capital Sanaa: Report

The United States plans to designate Yemen`s Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, three sources familiar with the matter said, a move that diplomats and aid groups worry could threaten peace talks and complicate efforts to combat the world`s largest humanitarian crisis.

The decision to blacklist the Iran-aligned group, which could be announced as soon as Monday according to two of the sources, comes as the administration of President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take over from the Trump administration on Jan. 20.

The Trump administration has been piling on sanctions related to Iran in recent weeks, prompting some Biden allies and outside analysts to conclude that Trump aides are seeking to make it harder for the incoming administration to re-engage with Iran and rejoin an international nuclear agreement.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One person familiar with the matter said the Trump administration had worked out certain "allowances" to permit continued delivery of humanitarian supplies to Yemen and insisted that U.S. sanctions rules in most cases leave room for aid organizations to work. The source declined to elaborate.

The designation has been the subject of weeks of fierce debate within the Trump administration and internal disagreements over how to carve out exceptions for aid shipments held up a final decision on the blacklisting, which has been in the works for weeks, multiple sources have said.

A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthi group. U.N. officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war as the country`s suffering is also worsened by an economic and currency collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United Nations describes Yemen as the world`s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need of help. Top U.N. officials have warned that millions of people are facing famine and more money is needed to deliver aid.

The Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah, is the de facto authority in northern Yemen and aid agencies have to work with it to deliver assistance. Aid workers and supplies also come in through Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port.

"This serves no interest at all," Ryan Crocker, a retired U.S. ambassador who served in the Middle East, said of the designation. "Are there elements among the Houthis who have been involved in terrorist acts? Sure. Just as with other groups in the Middle East."

"The Houthis are an integral part of Yemeni society. They always have been. This is making a strategic enemy out of a local force that has been part of Yemen for generations. They are not Iranian pawns."

In November U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Yemen was in "imminent danger of the worst famine the world has seen for decades," warning against any unilateral moves as the United States threatened to blacklist the Houthis.

A spokesman for Guterres declined to comment on Sunday.

Iran`s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The U.S. Treasury Department has the power to carve out exceptions by issuing special licenses to humanitarian groups to ship food and medical supplies to heavily sanctioned countries, as it has done with Iran and Venezuela.

But international relief officials have said such measures have often failed to unblock the flow of aid because banks and insurance companies are worried about running afoul of U.S. sanctions, and that this could also be the case with Yemen.

The United States plans to designate Yemen`s Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, three sources familiar with the matter said, a move that diplomats and aid groups worry could threaten peace talks and complicate efforts to combat the world`s largest humanitarian crisis.

The United States plans to designate Yemen`s Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, three sources familiar with the matter said, a move that diplomats and aid groups worry could threaten peace talks and complicate efforts to combat the world`s largest humanitarian crisis. The decision to blacklist the Iran-aligned group, which could be announced as soon as Monday according to two of the sources, comes as the administration of President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take over from the Trump administration on Jan. 20. The Trump administration has been piling on sanctions related to Iran in recent weeks, prompting some Biden allies and outside analysts to conclude that Trump aides are seeking to make it harder for the incoming administration to re-engage with Iran and rejoin an international nuclear agreement. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. One person familiar with the matter said the Trump administration had worked out certain "allowances" to permit continued delivery of humanitarian supplies to Yemen and insisted that U.S. sanctions rules in most cases leave room for aid organizations to work. The source declined to elaborate. The designation has been the subject of weeks of fierce debate within the Trump administration and internal disagreements over how to carve out exceptions for aid shipments held up a final decision on the blacklisting, which has been in the works for weeks, multiple sources have said. A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Houthi group. U.N. officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war as the country`s suffering is also worsened by an economic and currency collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations describes Yemen as the world`s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need of help. Top U.N. officials have warned that millions of people are facing famine and more money is needed to deliver aid. The Houthi group, also known as Ansar Allah, is the de facto authority in northern Yemen and aid agencies have to work with it to deliver assistance. Aid workers and supplies also come in through Houthi-controlled Sanaa airport and Hodeidah port. "This serves no interest at all," Ryan Crocker, a retired U.S. ambassador who served in the Middle East, said of the designation. "Are there elements among the Houthis who have been involved in terrorist acts? Sure. Just as with other groups in the Middle East." "The Houthis are an integral part of Yemeni society. They always have been. This is making a strategic enemy out of a local force that has been part of Yemen for generations. They are not Iranian pawns." In November U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Yemen was in "imminent danger of the worst famine the world has seen for decades," warning against any unilateral moves as the United States threatened to blacklist the Houthis. A spokesman for Guterres declined to comment on Sunday. Iran`s mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The U.S. Treasury Department has the power to carve out exceptions by issuing special licenses to humanitarian groups to ship food and medical supplies to heavily sanctioned countries, as it has done with Iran and Venezuela. But international relief officials have said such measures have often failed to unblock the flow of aid because banks and insurance companies are worried about running afoul of U.S. sanctions, and that this could also be the case with Yemen.

US to designate Yemen's Houthi movement as foreign terror group as soon as Monday

The US military has withdrawn from Saudi Arabia its personnel who were coordinating with the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen, and sharply reduced the number of staff elsewhere who were assisting in that planning, US officials told Reuters. 
 
Fewer than five US service people have now been assigned full-time to the Joint Combined Planning Cell (JCPC) which was established last year to coordinate US support including air-to-air refuelling of coalition jets and limited intelligence-sharing, Lieutenant Ian McConnaughey, a US Navy spokesman in Bahrain, told Reuters. 
 
That is down from a peak of about 45 staff members who were dedicated to the effort full-time in Riyadh and elsewhere, he said. 
 
The June staff withdrawal, which US officials say followed a lull in air strikes in Yemen earlier this year, reduces Washington&#39;s day-to-day involvement in advising a campaign that has come under increasing scrutiny for causing civilian casualties. A Pentagon statement issued after Reuters disclosed the withdrawal acknowledged that the JCPC, as originally conceived, had been &quot;largely shelved&quot; and that ongoing support was limited, despite renewed fighting this summer. 
 
&quot;The cooperation that we&#39;ve extended to Saudi Arabia since the conflict escalated again is modest and it is not a blank cheque,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said in a statement. 
 
&nbsp;

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<h5>&quot;The cooperation that we&#39;ve extended to Saudi Arabia since the conflict escalated again is modest and it is not a blank cheque,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said in a statement.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a a="" again="" and="" arabia="" blank="" cheque="" class="twitter popup" conflict="" escalated="" extended="" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=&quot;The cooperation that we" is="" it="" modest="" not="" saudi="" since="" the="" to="" ve="">&nbsp;</a></div>
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US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the reduced staffing was not due to the growing international outcry over civilian casualties in the 16-month civil war that has killed more than 6,500 people in Yemen, about half of them civilians. 
 
But the Pentagon, in some of its strongest language yet, also acknowledged concerns about the conflict, which has brought Yemen close to famine and cost more than $14 billion in damage to infrastructure and economic losses.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Even as we assist the Saudis regarding their territorial integrity, it does not mean that we will refrain from expressing our concern about the war in Yemen and how it has been waged,&quot; Stump said, adding, &quot;In our discussions with the Saudi-led coalition, we have pressed the need to minimise civilian casualties&quot;. 
 
A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asseri, refused to confirm details about the positioning of US military personnel, but played down such moves. 
 
&quot;The relationship between the kingdom and the US is a strategic one. If true, this move reflects something at a tactical level,&quot; he told Reuters.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The US may move its assets, but that doesn`t have any impact on the bilateral relationship between the countries.&quot; 
 
Hospital Strike 
 
Since the campaign began, the US military has conducted an average of two refuelling sorties every day and provided limited intelligence support to the coalition. That assistance continues, officials clarified. 
 
Still, the Pentagon has long distanced itself from the Saudi-led coalition&#39;s decisions on targeting.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;At no point did US military personnel provide direct or implicit approval of target selection or prosecution,&quot; Stump said.&nbsp; 
 
The JCPC had also largely wrapped up an earlier effort to advise the Saudi-led coalition on steps to prevent civilian casualties, the Pentagon said.&nbsp;

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<h5>An annual UN report on children and armed conflict said the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for 60 per cent of child deaths and injuries in Yemen last year. Saudi Arabia has said the report is based on inaccurate information.</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=An annual UN report on children and armed conflict said the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for 60 per cent of child deaths and injuries in Yemen last year. Saudi Arabia has said the report is based on inaccurate information." target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
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An annual UN report on children and armed conflict said the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for 60 per cent of child deaths and injuries in Yemen last year. Saudi Arabia has said the report is based on inaccurate information. 
 
On Tuesday, a coalition air strike hit a hospital operated by medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres in Yemen, killing 19 people and prompting the group to evacuate staff from six hospitals. MSF cited a &quot;loss of confidence in the Saudi-led coalition to prevent fatal attacks.&quot; 
 
US Representative Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California and a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, said he believed such strikes could help galvanise votes for limiting arms transfers to Saudi Arabia.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;When its repeated air strikes that have now killed children, doctors, newlyweds, patients, at some point you just have to say: Either Saudi Arabia is not listening to the United States or they just don&#39;t care,&quot; Lieu said.&nbsp;

(Reuters)

The move reduces its day-to-day involvement in advising a campaign that has come under increasing scrutiny for causing civilian casualties

The US military has withdrawn from Saudi Arabia its personnel who were coordinating with the Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen, and sharply reduced the number of staff elsewhere who were assisting in that planning, US officials told Reuters. Fewer than five US service people have now been assigned full-time to the Joint Combined Planning Cell (JCPC) which was established last year to coordinate US support including air-to-air refuelling of coalition jets and limited intelligence-sharing, Lieutenant Ian McConnaughey, a US Navy spokesman in Bahrain, told Reuters. That is down from a peak of about 45 staff members who were dedicated to the effort full-time in Riyadh and elsewhere, he said. The June staff withdrawal, which US officials say followed a lull in air strikes in Yemen earlier this year, reduces Washington's day-to-day involvement in advising a campaign that has come under increasing scrutiny for causing civilian casualties. A Pentagon statement issued after Reuters disclosed the withdrawal acknowledged that the JCPC, as originally conceived, had been "largely shelved" and that ongoing support was limited, despite renewed fighting this summer. "The cooperation that we've extended to Saudi Arabia since the conflict escalated again is modest and it is not a blank cheque," Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said in a statement. "The cooperation that we've extended to Saudi Arabia since the conflict escalated again is modest and it is not a blank cheque," Pentagon spokesman Adam Stump said in a statement. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the reduced staffing was not due to the growing international outcry over civilian casualties in the 16-month civil war that has killed more than 6,500 people in Yemen, about half of them civilians. But the Pentagon, in some of its strongest language yet, also acknowledged concerns about the conflict, which has brought Yemen close to famine and cost more than $14 billion in damage to infrastructure and economic losses. "Even as we assist the Saudis regarding their territorial integrity, it does not mean that we will refrain from expressing our concern about the war in Yemen and how it has been waged," Stump said, adding, "In our discussions with the Saudi-led coalition, we have pressed the need to minimise civilian casualties". A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asseri, refused to confirm details about the positioning of US military personnel, but played down such moves. "The relationship between the kingdom and the US is a strategic one. If true, this move reflects something at a tactical level," he told Reuters. "The US may move its assets, but that doesn`t have any impact on the bilateral relationship between the countries." Hospital Strike Since the campaign began, the US military has conducted an average of two refuelling sorties every day and provided limited intelligence support to the coalition. That assistance continues, officials clarified. Still, the Pentagon has long distanced itself from the Saudi-led coalition's decisions on targeting. "At no point did US military personnel provide direct or implicit approval of target selection or prosecution," Stump said. The JCPC had also largely wrapped up an earlier effort to advise the Saudi-led coalition on steps to prevent civilian casualties, the Pentagon said. An annual UN report on children and armed conflict said the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for 60 per cent of child deaths and injuries in Yemen last year. Saudi Arabia has said the report is based on inaccurate information. An annual UN report on children and armed conflict said the Saudi-led coalition was responsible for 60 per cent of child deaths and injuries in Yemen last year. Saudi Arabia has said the report is based on inaccurate information. On Tuesday, a coalition air strike hit a hospital operated by medical aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres in Yemen, killing 19 people and prompting the group to evacuate staff from six hospitals. MSF cited a "loss of confidence in the Saudi-led coalition to prevent fatal attacks." US Representative Ted Lieu, a Democrat from California and a colonel in the Air Force Reserve, said he believed such strikes could help galvanise votes for limiting arms transfers to Saudi Arabia. "When its repeated air strikes that have now killed children, doctors, newlyweds, patients, at some point you just have to say: Either Saudi Arabia is not listening to the United States or they just don't care," Lieu said. (Reuters)

US on staff withdrawal from Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen: Cooperation Not a Blank Cheque

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Iran warns of ‘decisive’ response after Trump orders strikes on Houthis; Russia urges US to not use force in Yemen

US airstrikes target rebel-held cities in Yemen, including capital Sanaa: Report

US to designate Yemen's Houthi movement as foreign terror group as soon as Monday

US on staff withdrawal from Saudi-led air campaign in Yemen: Cooperation Not a Blank Cheque