Trump says Houthis trying to push up oil prices before US election

US president Donald Trump speaks to the media before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. (AFP pic) WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Tuesday accused Yemen's Houthis of seeking to drive energy prices higher as key US midterm elections approach, warning he "will never forget" their attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Yemen's civil war, pitting a Saudi-led coalition backing the government against rival Houthis, restarted in July, months into the broader Middle East conflict that has rocked energy markets and plunged the region into turmoil.

The Houthis have since targeted Saudi oil facilities, tankers and transport hubs, including lethal strikes on Riyadh's international airport over the weekend.

Trump lashed out on his Truth Social platform Tuesday, saying "the Houthis are behaving very badly" and "probably at the behest of Iran."

He added that their recent moves saw them acting "in a very nasty way, hitting Saudi Arabia, and purposefully trying to drive up Oil Prices, probably prior to the US Elections - NOT NICE."

The Riyadh airport attack earlier prompted Trump to say he was considering joining Saudi strikes against the Houthis.

In his post on Tuesday, he downplayed the impact that the upcoming elections may have on his decision-making regarding the Houthis.

"Somebody should explain to them that I'm not running in the Elections... but I'll be there after the Elections, and I will never forget!" he said.

The president's Republican Party faces an uphill fight in November midterm elections to retain control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

With just three weeks to go before the crucial vote, the US leader is on a campaign to shore up support for his party, including by holding rallies in traditionally Republican states facing unexpectedly competitive Senate races.

Affordability worries have emerged as a key voter concern as global oil prices rocketed this year, driving up costs at US gasoline pumps as well and squeezing American households.

The flare-up with Yemen comes months after Tehran blocked the Strait of Hormuz -- a vital shipping route for oil and gas -- in retaliation against US and Israel attacks in late February. That sparked a conflict which has engulfed the Middle East.