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Congress raises alarm over US confrontation with Yemen's Houthis

House members want the legislative branch to sign off before any escalation against the Iran-backed group.
Houthi rebels parade during a rally held to mobilize fighters for battles against government forces, in Sanaa, Yemen December 1, 2016. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi - RTSU7TC

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is demanding that President Donald Trump seek the approval of Congress before escalating US involvement in Yemen's civil war.

Four House members are collecting signatures on a letter to the president amid growing signs that the White House and the Pentagon want to more directly take on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The United States has been selling bombs and weapons to the Saudi-led coalition since its March 2015 intervention, but the Trump administration is reportedly considering helping Saudi and Emirati forces capture the Red Sea port of Hodeida. 

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