Trump vetoes bill to end U.S. military support for Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen

House had passed measure to end weapons sales, stop support for airstrikes

Senate had not voted on measure

Trump says veto was to send "strong message" to Iran

President Donald Trump on Tuesday vetoed a bill that would have ended U.S. military support for the Saudi Arabia-led war in Yemen, a conflict that has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The House had passed the measure in April, with 247 Democrats and eight Republicans voting in favor. The Senate had not yet voted on the measure. In a statement, Trump said he vetoed the bill to send a "strong message" to Iran. He claimed that Iran was "the world's leading state sponsor of terror" and that the U.S. must continue to support Saudi Arabia, which is a key ally in the fight against Iran. "This resolution is an attempt to weaken America's ability to counter Iran's malign influence, and to undermine our allies in the region," Trump said. "I will not allow America's security to be put at risk." The war in Yemen has been ongoing since 2015, when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in the country's civil war. The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions more. The United Nations has called the situation in Yemen "the world's worst humanitarian crisis." The U.S. has provided billions of dollars in weapons and logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition. The U.S. has also sold weapons to Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of using them to commit war crimes in Yemen. The bill that Trump vetoed would have ended U.S. weapons sales to Saudi Arabia and stopped U.S. support for Saudi airstrikes in Yemen. The bill would have also required the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Yemen within 30 days. Trump's veto is likely to be overridden by Congress. The House has already voted to override the veto, and the Senate is expected to vote on the override later this week. If the Senate votes to override the veto, the bill will become law. The vote on the override will be a test of Congress's ability to assert its authority over the president. If Congress overrides the veto, it will be the first time that Congress has overridden a Trump veto.