Donald Trump has delayed planned US airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen, reversing a decision to prepare an operation after Saudi Arabia pressed him to intervene in the conflict.
The president’s position changed repeatedly over several days. He had told advisers that he opposed military action, then instructed the Pentagon to prepare airstrikes after a telephone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to administration officials.
By Sunday, however, the White House had pulled back from the operation. Officials said there would be no US strikes against the Houthis for the time being, although commanders had approved target lists and troops were loading bombs on to aircraft selected for the mission.
The White House declined to discuss Mr Trump’s deliberations. A senior administration official said only: “The US has a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and we will always defend our allies.”
Much of the president’s inner circle was said to be sceptical of, or opposed to, joining the Saudi campaign. Mr Trump told Fox News on Sunday that he remained in “deciding mode” over the wider war with Iran.
He also said the United States was in constant communication with the Houthis, noting that the group had so far agreed not to attack American forces or ships. The dilemma for the administration is that the Houthis have avoided striking the US while launching attacks against Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has sought American help as the Houthis, who are fighting Yemen’s internationally recognised government, have advanced in areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The strategically important Red Sea passage is a major route for shipping and energy supplies.
The conflict between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government began in 2014, although fighting eased after a truce in 2022. The Houthis reignited hostilities this summer by declaring a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and attacking Saudi vessels.
Any American operation could have been intended to support a new ground offensive by Yemeni government forces. But officials and former commanders have questioned whether those forces could withstand the Houthis, having recently dispersed during their first major confrontation with the group.
Doubts over a renewed US campaign against the Houthis
Current and former US diplomats and military commanders have also cast doubt on whether a limited bombing campaign would force the Houthis to negotiate. The group endured almost eight weeks of American bombardment last year without abandoning its most hard-line demands.
Gregory Johnsen, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, described the proposed anti-Houthi force as “a Frankenstein of all the leftover parts in Yemen that aren’t the Houthis”. He said the various factions had conflicting aims and often spent more time fighting one another than confronting the Houthis.
The US bombed more than 1,000 Houthi targets during a campaign lasting more than 50 days in spring 2025. The strikes included radar systems, air defences, ballistic missile sites, drone launch areas and a production hub near Yemen’s capital, Sana’a.
The Houthis continued firing at naval vessels, including an American aircraft carrier, and shot down several US drones during the campaign. The operation used weapons and munitions costing about $1 billion in its first month, while two F/A-18 Super Hornets, each valued at $67 million, accidentally fell from an American aircraft carrier into the sea.
Mr Trump abruptly announced a ceasefire less than two months into that campaign, saying the Houthis had “given us their word that they wouldn’t be shooting at ships anymore, and we honour that”. The group subsequently stopped attacking American ships.
Officials have warned that renewed US strikes could prompt the Houthis to resume those attacks. With the Strait of Hormuz already unstable because of the war against Iran, further disruption around the Bab al-Mandab could affect the movement of petroleum and gas.
The Houthis have rebuilt much of their military capability since the ceasefire and are using artificial intelligence to develop new types of missiles, according to current and former officials. They said defeating the group would remain difficult even with American military support for Saudi Arabia.
