Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged Donald Trump to launch US strikes against the Houthis during two telephone calls on Thursday, but the president declined, according to a report citing two American officials.
The appeals came as Houthi forces advanced towards the Red Sea port city of Mokha, bringing the Iran-backed group closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key maritime route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Mr bin Salman initially briefed Mr Trump on the deteriorating situation before calling again several hours later to press for direct American military action, Axios reported. Saudi Arabia was seeking political backing for strikes on Sanaa airport, while making clear that it did not require US forces to carry them out.
Washington has instead agreed to provide intelligence and targeting information to the Saudis. About 200 American military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia offering non-combat support, according to a US official.
The decision marks a change from July, when Riyadh told Washington it could manage the Houthi threat without American military assistance. US officials have since warned their Saudi counterparts that the Trump administration wants American forces focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz rather than opening another front in Yemen.
Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command, travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent talks, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The escalation follows a series of Houthi attacks on Saudi targets. The Associated Press reported that more than 70 people were wounded in strikes on southern Saudi Arabia, while fires broke out at oil facilities and utilities. The attacks also threatened a route used by the kingdom to move oil to international markets.
The Houthis’ seizure of Mokha has increased concern over the security of the Bab el-Mandeb, through which large volumes of global trade pass. Its proximity to the waterway has raised fears that the conflict could further disrupt shipping and drive up pressure on oil supplies.
The White House and the Saudi embassy in Washington declined to comment on the reported calls. A senior Trump administration official said the United States was focused on protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea while leaving regional partners to manage the wider security crisis.
