Trump Reportedly Rejects Saudi Request for Strikes on Houthis
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reportedly called U.S. President Donald Trump twice on Thursday, urging Washington to launch strikes against the Houthis as the group advanced toward the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to two U.S. officials cited by Axios.
Trump reportedly refused the request.
The move would mark a sharp reversal from July, when MBS told Trump that Saudi Arabia could handle the Houthi threat on its own. U.S. officials have reportedly told their Saudi counterparts that Washington will not provide direct military support, with American forces ordered to remain focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and avoid opening another front.
Saudi Arabia has increasingly faced the consequences of the wider regional conflict. The Houthi advance toward Bab el-Mandeb, along with Thursday’s reported strike on the East-West oil pipeline, is adding pressure on Saudi energy infrastructure.
U.S. officials also cite military capacity as a major factor. Pentagon commanders have reportedly warned that extending the Iran war would be unsustainable, while U.S. officials say stocks of Patriot and long-range missiles are critically low.
Opening another front against the Houthis could therefore place additional demands on the same U.S. air-defense and missile-interceptor stockpiles already being used across the Gulf and Jordan.
For now, Washington appears determined to keep the Houthis from becoming a second major U.S. military front while Saudi Arabia faces mounting pressure to respond on its own.