WATCH: Trump says Houthis ‘don’t want to fight anymore,’ U.S. will stop bombings

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that Houthi rebel forces in Yemen had signaled to the United States that “they don't want to fight anymore.”

“They just don't want to fight and we will honor that,” Trump said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in the Oval Office.

“We will stop the bombings and they have capitulated, but more importantly, we will take their word. They say they will not be blowing up ships anymore. And that's what the purpose of what we were doing."

“This was always a freedom of navigation mission,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “These guys, these are a band of individuals with advanced weaponry that were threatening global shipping, and the job was to get that to stop.”

The U.S. has been leading an intensified bombing campaign against the Houthis since mid-March in response to their attacks on shipping vessels, and Israeli vessels in particular. The Houthis have said their aim is to pressure Israel to allow aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza for more than two months amid a desperate humanitarian crisis there.

Israel’s military targeted the Iranian-backed group earlier Tuesday, disabling Yemen’s international airport and hitting several power plants.

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