Iran conflict and Houthi gains challenge Trump’s UN claims

US President Donald Trump is returning to the United Nations General Assembly under pressure from a war with Iran that has lasted far longer than he promised, while a rapid advance by Houthi forces has opened another threat to regional shipping and energy supplies.

The Jerusalem Post reports that Trump is expected to describe his military campaign against Iran as a success when he addresses world leaders in New York. Yet the conflict has settled into an uneasy stalemate, with Iran still resisting US pressure, its nuclear capability not eliminated and American missile supplies under strain.

The crisis has also unsettled allies. European and Asian governments have largely rejected Trump’s requests for help in a war he began without consulting them. Higher fuel costs and falling approval ratings could make the conflict a political liability before November’s midterm elections, when Republicans will be defending their control of Congress.

Iran remains capable of retaliation

Trump’s previous UN appearance came after the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities. He presented the strikes as having destroyed Tehran’s uranium-enrichment infrastructure and portrayed the operation as evidence of unmatched American military power. Experts later concluded that the bombing had inflicted serious damage but had not permanently ended Iran’s nuclear program.

The president also cast himself as an international peacemaker, claiming credit for ending several conflicts and seeking recognition for his diplomatic record. Developments since then have made those claims harder to sustain.

The United States joined Israel in attacking Iran on February 28, saying Tehran posed an approaching nuclear danger to the US. Analysts have challenged the assessment that Iran was close to producing a nuclear weapon, while Iran has consistently denied that it seeks one.

Iran has nevertheless absorbed the attacks and continued to retaliate. US airstrikes killed several senior Iranian leaders, but Tehran has struck at Gulf states and American bases located there. A quantity of highly enriched uranium close to weapons grade is also believed to have survived the US attacks in June 2025, reportedly buried beyond the reach of the bombing.

The White House maintains that Trump achieved his objectives. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly said he had shown the resolve needed to confront Iran, while sanctions and a maritime blockade were damaging the Iranian economy. Tehran’s continued resistance, however, has allowed it to retain leverage over both the conflict and the region’s economic stability.

Houthi advance widens the crisis

The latest complication has come from Yemen. Houthi forces have defeated Saudi-backed government units, moved along the Red Sea coast and taken islands near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The passage is a vital route for international shipping and gives Iran’s allies another way to threaten oil supplies.

The advance has raised energy prices and placed Saudi Arabia in a more vulnerable position. It has also exposed the difficulty Washington faces in protecting partners across a region already affected by the Iran war.

Trump has resisted Saudi requests for direct US military action against the Houthis. The decision reflects the competing demands on his administration: Washington cannot easily accept the closure or disruption of another major shipping corridor, but the Pentagon is already stretched by the campaign against Iran and may not want to begin a new operation.

US officials met Houthi representatives in Oman last weekend. According to people familiar with those discussions, the group said it was targeting Saudi shipping but did not intend to attack American vessels. The administration has said its priority is preserving freedom of navigation in the Red Sea while encouraging regional governments to manage their own security problems.

Allies question American guarantees

Trump’s refusal to intervene directly has weakened confidence among Gulf states, analysts say. Those doubts had already grown after he chose to fight Iran despite objections from governments that feared the consequences of an expanded war.

The United States has agreed to a ceasefire with the Houthis in the past, but the group’s renewed strength has made it harder for Trump to find a route out of the broader conflict. The war has now become a contest of endurance, with Washington applying greater economic pressure and Tehran using its ability to threaten shipping and American partners.

Trump has offered changing estimates for when the fighting might end and has recently suggested that its conclusion could be near. Analysts cited by the Jerusalem Post are less optimistic, warning that Iran has little reason to ease pressure before the midterm elections. By prolonging the conflict, they argue, Tehran can increase economic and political costs for Trump and potentially leave him weakened at home.