Trump says Yemen's Houthis are 'behaving very badly'

Read the original at The Straits Times ↗
The Straits Times · collected 2026-10-13 · by The Straits Times

Quick Summary

On October 13, US President Donald Trump commented on Yemen's civil war, stating that the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are "behaving very badly" due to their increased aggression against commercial shipping and recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport. These attacks resulted in significant casualties and disruptions. Additionally, Trump mentioned possibly asking Turkish President Erdogan for assistance in supporting Saudi interests amid these tensions.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-13, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

In October 2026, US President Donald Trump criticized Yemen's Houthi militants, saying they were "behaving very badly" following a series of attacks on Saudi Arabian airports. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have been battling the Saudi-backed Yemeni government since 2014 and intensified their attacks in response to the US-Iran war. These recent attacks included strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which killed at least 13 people and injured over 300 others, causing temporary airport closures.

Trump also mentioned possibly asking Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan for assistance against the Houthis, indicating his intent to support Saudi interests. The attacks have raised concerns about shipping safety through the crucial Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical passage for global oil shipments.

Written for “Yemen Conflict StrikesSaudiArabia” on 2026-10-13, grounded in this article and the 111 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political question, so it has no leaning score. That is an answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political position.
No political leaning scored for article 76840 · logged 2026-10-13

Story

📰 Yemen Conflict StrikesSaudiArabia
World · 112 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 14% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
World condemns deadly Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh airport different event · 95%
Al Jazeera
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 16 📰 publisher trust 60
“Article A describes a specific attack on Riyadh International Airport that killed at least 12 people and wounded 300, while Article B is a statement by Trump regarding the broader behavior of the Houthis without mentioning this particular incident.”
Yemen's Houthis renew warning over Saudi airports after deadly Riyadh attack different event · 95%
The Straits Times
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 6% hedged 1 of 16 📰 publisher trust 59
“The articles cover different time periods and specific actions: one reports a warning and attack on Riyadh's airport, while the other is about Trump's comments regarding Houthi behavior in the context of US-Iran war spillover.”
Trump considering strikes against Houthis in Yemen after attacks on Saudi Arabia different event · 95%
CBS News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 2 📰 publisher trust 66
“Article A discusses Trump considering military strikes against the Houthis, while Article B reports on Trump's statement about the Houthis 'behaving very badly', which is a different occurrence.”
Iran war live: Trump says Houthis ‘misbehaving’ as Riyadh flights halted same event · 95%
Al Jazeera
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 2 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on US President Donald Trump's criticism of Yemen’s Houthis for their behavior following a series of attacks on Saudi Arabian airports.”
Trump sends warning to ‘not nice’ Houthis after deadly Saudi Arabia attacks, suggests Turkey could help same event · 95%
New York Post
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 40% hedged 2 of 5 📰 publisher trust 67
“Both articles describe President Trump's comments about the Houthi militants on October 13, 2026, warning them against further attacks and discussing potential involvement of Turkey.”
Inside the Houthis' power as Trump considers strikes after attacks on Saudi Arabia different event · 85%
CBS News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 3 📰 publisher trust 66
“Article A focuses on a specific missile attack by Houthi forces on Riyadh's main international airport, while Article B reports on broader comments from Trump about Houthi behavior in the context of the US-Iran war and its spillover effects.”
Trump ‘may’ join Saudi strikes on Houthis after Riyadh airport attack different event · 50%
Al Jazeera
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 67% hedged 2 of 3 📰 publisher trust 60
“The first article discusses Trump's potential military response to a specific attack on Riyadh airport, while the second article provides a broader commentary on Houthi behavior in the context of regional conflicts.”
Houthis warn against using Saudi airports after missile attack killed 12 and injured hundreds - as Wes Streeting condemns 'dangerous escalation' different event · 50%
Daily Mail
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 6% hedged 5 of 79 📰 publisher trust 64
“Article A reports on a specific missile attack by the Houthis that killed 12 and injured hundreds, while Article B is a broader statement from Trump about Houthi behavior in general without referencing the same specific incident.”
Trump Says U.S. May Join Saudi Strikes on Houthis After Riyadh Airport Attacks different event · 20%
TIME
⚖️ Leans right 🔴 14% hedged 4 of 29 📰 publisher trust 60
“The articles discuss different aspects of the conflict involving Trump, Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis over a period of days.”
Houthi strike on Riyadh airport kills 12; Saudi-led coalition vows 'decisive' response to worst attack on kingdom in a decade different event · 20%
Dawn
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 10% hedged 4 of 40 📰 publisher trust 71
“Article A describes a specific attack on Riyadh's airport that killed 12 people, while Article B is a general statement about Houthi behavior and does not mention this particular attack.”

Cite this article

The Straits Times. (2026, October 13). Trump says Yemen's Houthis are 'behaving very badly'. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/world/middle-east/trump-says-yemens-houthis-are-behaving-very-badly

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
7
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
14%
1 of 7 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
59/100
The Straits Times's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
112
World
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-10-13 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Straits Times · 2633 article(s) · 3 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 3 correction(s)
2026-10-04
Tennessee prison chief resigns after failed execution
2026-10-03
US prison chief resigns after failed execution of death row inmate Christa Pike
2026-09-13
Russia hits Ukrainian-Polish border area, Kyiv says

Who wrote this

The Straits Times
1747 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Trump says US Senate as hard to defend as House in midterms WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said on Oct 13 Republicans face an equally difficult fight to retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate in November’s midterm elections, despite forecasts showing a considerably tougher contest in the House.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Trump says US Senate as hard to defend as House in midterms
🔮 The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the situation in Taiz had significantly deteriorated in recent days, and that people, basic supplies and humanitarian goods could not enter the city, driving up prices.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · In Yemen's Taiz, shelling worsens and prices spiral
🔮 Trump told reporters that he "might" ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to intervene and support Saudi interests.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Trump says Yemen's Houthis are 'behaving very badly'
🔮 Albania's Deputy Prime Minister Albana Koçiu wrote on Facebook: "Violence has not been, is not, and will never be a solution.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Albanian students protest over education, jobs, clash with police
🔮 He said it was escalating "hybrid" warfare, staying below the threshold that would trigger a direct NATO response.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · MI5 chief lists Iran, Russia, AI and terrorists among threats to UK
🔮 "She has been a wonderful asset to the team, and we wish her well."
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · White House says US ambassador to Greece Guilfoyle asked to resign
🔮 A statement from the coalition's joint forces command identified the site on a map and said civilians should leave the area for their own safety. A military spokesperson for Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, Yahya Saree, warned that any strikes on Sanaa would be met with a "harsh and painful" response in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Saudi-led coalition orders evacuation of Yemen oil facility in Sanaa ahead of operation
🔮 The funding will support border management, search-and-rescue and anti-smuggling activities in eastern Libya.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · EU expands migration cooperation with eastern Libya through new funding
🔮 If that happens, we would have no other places where we can bury," said Joumana Labib, a 25-year-old architect whose extended family is buried there.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Egypt's Baha'i minority is running out of space to bury their dead
🔮 The government's proposal would toughen penalties on companies and individuals who participate in activities linked to natural resources in the Falklands, and in Argentina's maritime spaces without authorization from Argentine authorities.
2026-10-13 · assertive framing · Argentina seeks tribunal order against UK oil activity near Falklands
Also by The Straits Times
Trump says US Senate as hard to defend as House in midterms
2026-10-13 · The Straits Times
In Yemen's Taiz, shelling worsens and prices spiral
2026-10-13 · The Straits Times
MI5 chief lists Iran, Russia, AI and terrorists among threats to UK
2026-10-13 · The Straits Times
Albanian students protest over education, jobs, clash with police
2026-10-13 · The Straits Times
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 1747 articles by The Straits Times →

Topics

Houthis Iran Saudi WASHINGTON Yemen

Subjects

Houthis NORP · 3× Saudi NORP · 3× Trump PERSON · 3× Iran GPE · 2× Yemen GPE · 2× Donald Trump PERSON · 1× Houthi NORP · 1× Riyadh GPE · 1× WASHINGTON GPE · 1× Yemeni NORP · 1×

Narrative

WASHINGTON, Oct 13 - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Houthi militants who control vast swaths of Yemen were "behaving very badly" as consequences of the US-Iran war spill into the broader Middle East.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-13
🔮 Trump told reporters that he "might" ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to intervene and support Saudi interests.
2026-10-13 · The Straits Times
Trump says Yemen's Houthis are 'behaving very badly' · assertive framing

Claims (7 extracted, 1 hedged)

Trump says Yemen's Houthis are 'behaving very badly' asserted
Houthis → say → ?
WASHINGTON, Oct 13 - US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Houthi militants who control vast swaths of Yemen were "behaving very badly" as consequences of the US-Iran war spill into the broader Middle East. asserted
consequences → say → East
The Iran-backed Houthis have been battling the Saudi-backed Yemeni government in a civil war since 2014, but the conflict has intensified since the US began its eight-month war on Iran. asserted
US → back → Iran
The group has recently escalated attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait. asserted
group → escalate → Sea
The Houthis launched attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport in recent days, killing 13 people, wounding more than 300, and closing the skies above the Saudi capital. asserted
Houthis → launch → capital
Trump told reporters that he "might" ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to intervene and support Saudi interests. uncertain
he → tell → interests
"President Erdogan, I think, would do as I ask," Trump said. asserted
Trump → think → ?
💬Give feedback
🕘History 🎫Support
Terms · Privacy · beta v2.0.0
Articles to 13 Oct 2026