Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump twice on Thursday and urged him to order US strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis as the group advanced towards a key Red Sea
chokepoint, Axios reported citing two US officials in the know.
Trump declined the request, with US officials saying the administration currently has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis. The development comes as Houthi forces seized a strategic coastal city in Yemen, bringing them closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital maritime passage linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a key route for global trade and Saudi oil exports.
Oil prices rose sharply on Thursday amid concerns that the fighting could threaten the strategically important waterway. The situation has taken on added significance as Iran is already disrupting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi control or increased military activity near Bab al-Mandab could give Tehran and its allies another potential point of leverage over the US and its Gulf partners.
The US is nevertheless increasing support for Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid direct military involvement in Yemen. US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, it was reported.
The Saudi-Houthi confrontation intensified in July after Riyadh prevented an Iranian aircraft carrying senior Houthi officials from landing in Sanaa following their return from the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
MBS subsequently sought Trump’s political backing for a Saudi strike on Sanaa airport, while making clear that Riyadh did not require US military assistance. Trump backed the move.
The Houthis later retaliated by attacking Saudi tankers in the Red Sea and threatening the kingdom’s oil-export routes before expanding attacks to Saudi energy infrastructure. Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies responded with airstrikes and ground operations against Houthi positions.
Thursday’s request for direct US military action marks a shift from Riyadh’s earlier position that it could handle the Houthi threat without American military involvement.
As the fighting has intensified, Saudi Arabia has increasingly sought US assistance. American military and civilian officials have told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump’s directive is to keep US forces focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz rather than opening another military front in Yemen. On Thursday, as Houthi forces advanced towards the coastal city of Mokha and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retreated, MBS called Trump to brief him on the deteriorating situation, US officials said.
Several hours later, the Saudi crown prince called Trump again and urged him to authorise US strikes against the Houthis. Trump declined. The US administration has nevertheless offered to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting information on Houthi forces. Around 200 US military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia providing non-kinetic support, according to a US official.
A senior Trump administration official said Washington’s priority was to keep the Red Sea open while allowing regional partners to take the lead in addressing the wider conflict.
“The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests- such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea- while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges,” the official said as per Axios. The official added that Washington remains in “continuous dialogue” with Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognised government over regional stability.
