A key U.S. ally in the Middle East praised President Donald Trump policy of “firmness” during a Sunday visit to Dearborn.

Major General Aidarus al-Zubaidi, who is also vice president of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, appeared at a Yemeni-American community event at the Bint Jebeil Cultural Center.

Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial

MORE NEWS: Tudor Dixon, John James top GOP governor picks for 2026; Pete Buttigieg, Jocelyn Benson for Democrats

Close

“There is no doubt that the current policy of appeasement at any cost with the terrorist Houthi militias which relied on good intentions during the period following 2021 has encouraged these militias to take dangerous terrorist actions. The latest of these actions was targeting maritime navigation lines and global trade in Bab al-Mandab, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian and Red Seas adding serious complications in the region.

“This would not have happened if the police of firmness supported by the United States and its regional allies before 2021. This period was characterized by real measures that reduced the capabilities of these terrorist militias and their supporters in Iran. The most recent of these measures was the decision to classify them as a first-degree terrorist organization by former President Donald Trump,” Zubaidi said as the crowd broken into chants for Trump.

“Had this decision been built upon and deterrent measures continued, the Houthis would not have been able to threaten the interests of the region and the world as they do today,” he said.

Go Ad-Free, Get Content, Go Premium Today - $1 Trial

Who do you think will win the Presidential election in November?

By completing the poll, you agree to receive emails from The Midwesterner, occasional offers from our partners and that you've read and agree to our privacy policy and legal statement.

Zubaidi previously endorsed the Abraham Accords negotiated by Trump in 2020.

The major general was in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly earlier in the week. Other stops on his U.S. tour include Buffalo, New York; Chicago; and California.