Trump u-turn on Houthis driven by billions of dollars in financial losses - NYT

The Pentagon deployed as many as six B-2 bombers in March to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia, amid a US bombing campaign in Yemen and mounting tensions with Iran.

Experts say that this had put the B-2s, which have stealth technology and are equipped to carry the heaviest US bombs and nuclear weapons, in a position to operate in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump announced last week that a deal had been reached to stop bombing Yemen's Houthi group.

The B-2 bombers had been used to carry out strikes against the Iran-backed group.

According to regional sources cited by Al Arabiya and Al Hadath, the Lebanese armed group, closely aligned with Tehran, is monitoring ongoing nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States in Oman.

Hezbollah apparently fears that any Israeli strike targeting IRGC personnel could derail the talks and put Iran in a difficult diplomatic position, according to the report.

“Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to use every possible means to pressure Tehran and obstruct its nuclear progress,” the sources said, suggesting that any high-profile Iranian casualty in Lebanon could serve as a pretext for escalation.

IRGC officers are believed to reside in discreet locations in Beirut’s southern suburbs and in the Bekaa Valley, and typically move under strict security protocols.

Israeli intelligence has previously succeeded in targeting IRGC-linked figures and Hezbollah commanders during recent conflicts in Lebanon.

Neither Hezbollah nor Iranian officials have publicly confirmed the reported withdrawal request.

Last year, seven senior IRGC commanders and officials were killed in an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate complex in Damascus, triggering Iran's first ever direct airstrike on the Jewish state.

Israel's Y-Net reported that it had been intercepted before reaching Israeli territory, the latest in an ongoing air operation from the Houthis in Yemen.

On Sunday, Israel attacked Hodeidah in Yemen after the Israeli army said it had warned residents of three ports under Houthi control to evacuate, according to the Houthi interior ministry.

Last week, the Houthis, listed as a terrorist organization by countries including the US, fired a ballistic missile which narrowly missed Israel’s main airport after multiple interception attempts failed.

The Houthis announced a ban on “air navigation to the airports of occupied Palestine” following the strike which landed just meters from Ben-Gurion Airport in central Israel.

Since the Gaza war began, dozens of strikes have been launched by Yemen, with scores of drones and missiles fired at the Jewish state.

Following the maritime blockade of the Red Sea region enacted by the Houthis, in a bid to force Israel into a ceasefire with Iran-backed Hamas in Gaza, the US had led a more than 20-nation coalition against the group.

In a shock move last week, US President Donald Trump agreed to an Oman-brokered ceasefire after having escalated attacks on the Houthis in March.

The Houthis had launched at least 174 attacks on the US Navy and 145 attacks on global shipping, according to the US State Department.

However, the deal did not encompass the group's attacks on Israel.

In Israel, the ceasefire has left members of the political and military elite on edge.

"This was totally unexpected," one security source told Iran International on condition of anonymity. "Everyone is very much watching and waiting to see what comes next, but it leaves us in a much weaker position."

Another said: "We have no choice but to take tougher action now to show that even standing alone, we will not allow the Houthis to threaten the safety of Israel."

The image, captured by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2 satellite on May 7, was first identified by open-source analyst MT Anderson and shows aircraft matching the dimensions of B-52 bombers parked at the US Naval Support Facility.

The B-52s join a buildup of US assets at the base, including previously deployed B-2 stealth bombers, C-17 cargo planes, and aerial refueling tankers, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine and The War Zone.

The enhanced deployment follows months of rising tensions between Washington and Tehran. While US President Donald Trump has said he prefers a peaceful resolution to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear program, he has also warned of military action if no agreement is reached.

Tehran has rejected talks outside the framework of the 2015 nuclear deal.

In March, a senior Iranian military official warned that Iran would target the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia if it is used to launch attacks. “There will be no distinction in targeting British or American forces if Iran is attacked from any base in the region or within range of Iranian missiles,” the official told The Telegraph.

However, the remote Indian Ocean base is located some 3,800 kilometers from Iran—beyond the estimated 2,000-kilometer range of Iranian ballistic missiles.

A UK government spokesman condemned the threats at the time, calling the base “vital to UK and US security” and underscoring London’s efforts to promote de-escalation in the region.

Diego Garcia has previously been used to launch US strikes in Iraq and Afghanistan. The latest deployments suggest the US is positioning for potential large-scale operations, even as diplomatic efforts with Tehran remain uncertain.

The move, which comes amid a broader effort to deepen ties with Persian Gulf Arab states, marks a break with long-standing international convention, prompting sharp rebuke from Iran, which shares the longest coastline along the body of water.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called the reported decision politically motivated and historically inaccurate, saying, “The name Persian Gulf, like many geographical designations, is deeply rooted in human history.”

"Politically motivated attempts to alter the historically established name of the Persian Gulf are indicative of hostile intent toward Iran and its people, and are firmly condemned. Such biased actions are an affront to all Iranians, regardless of their background or place of residence,” Iran's top diplomat said on X.

Two US officials familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the announcement would be made while Trump visits Riyadh as part of a regional tour that includes Qatar and the United Arab Emirates—countries that have long pushed for the geographic name change.

“The president is expected to unveil what he calls a ‘historic reorientation’ of US nomenclature to better reflect regional alliances,” one of the officials said.

Trump himself teased a major announcement during a meeting at the White House on Tuesday. “It’ll be one of the most important announcements that have been made in many years about a certain subject, a very important subject,” he said.

Known globally as the Persian Gulf since at least the 16th century, the name of the inland sea has become a politically and culturally charged issue. Arab states often use “Arabian Gulf” in official documents and maps, while Iran considers the historical term a matter of national identity.

“The Persian Gulf is not just a name. It is part of who we are,” an Iranian diplomat in Tehran said on condition of anonymity. “Changing it under pressure from petrodollars will not erase thousands of years of history.”

In 2017, during Trump's first administration, his first reference to what he called the "Arabian Gulf" led to public backlash from Tehran.

The Iranian foreign minister at the time, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said: “Everyone knew Trump’s friendship was for sale to the highest bidder. We now know that his geography is, too.”

Iran’s then-president, Hassan Rouhani, also criticized the phrasing, saying Trump should “study geography.”

The US military has unilaterally used “Arabian Gulf” in communications for years, but the White House’s official adoption of the term would represent a new level of endorsement, likely increasing tensions with Tehran.

Under international maritime law, the designation of sea names is handled by the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO), which currently recognizes the body of water as the “Persian Gulf.” The United Nations and most world maps do the same.

While Trump can direct US federal agencies to use a different name, he cannot enforce the change globally. Congressional legislation would be required to make the shift permanent in US law, and a future administration could easily reverse it.

“Trump can rename it on White House letterhead, but that won’t change global consensus,” said Lisa Barry, a professor of international law at Georgetown University.

The renaming announcement is part of a broader push to align more closely with Persian Gulf Arab monarchies as Trump seeks increased investment from the region and backing for his policies on Iran and Israel.

The announcement also follows a controversial decision earlier this year to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” in US government usage—a move that led to a legal battle with the Associated Press.

A federal judge ultimately ruled that the AP could not be denied access to government events for refusing to adopt the administration’s preferred terminology, citing First Amendment protections.

The inland sea in question spans about 251,000 square kilometers (97,000 square miles) and borders eight nations: Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman. Iran alone accounts for more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) of its coastline.

Trump is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE from May 13 to 16. The announcement is expected to be made during a keynote speech in Riyadh, though officials said the precise timing remains fluid.