Iran was behind US President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement on Tuesday that the US military is halting its military operations against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen after the terror group indicated it will end its attacks against US ships. According to two Iranian officials quoted by The New York Times, Iran pressured the Houthis to halt their attacks as part of the Islamic Republic’s current efforts to reach a nuclear deal with the US. Following Trump’s announcement, Oman, which is mediating the US-Iranian talks, said that it mediated the ceasefire deal between the Houthis and the US. The Houthis’ attacks on Israel were not addressed in the deal, and the terror group said that it will continue its attacks on “Israeli” ships. “The agreement does not include Israel in any way, shape or form,” Mohammed Abdulsalam, the chief Houthi negotiator, told Reuters. “As long as they announced the cessation (of U.S. strikes) and they are actually committed to that, our position was self-defense so we will stop.” A Houthi spokesperson told Al Jazeera that the terror group “will continue targeting Israeli ships until humanitarian aid enters Gaza. We will evaluate any future US support for Israel and will determine our position accordingly.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)