Saudi Crown Prince urges Trump to launch strikes against Houthi rebels advancing toward Bab al-Mandeb
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked President Donald Trump twice on Thursday to order U.S. attacks on Houthi forces moving toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, but Trump declined.
On Thursday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman placed two calls to President Donald Trump, first to alert him to the swift deterioration of the Yemeni battlefield as Houthi fighters advanced toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and later to request that the United States conduct air strikes against the rebels. Trump rejected the request on both occasions, though he reaffirmed ongoing U.S. support for Saudi Arabia through the sharing of classified intelligence and targeting information.
Approximately 200 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Saudi Arabia, providing non-combat logistical and intelligence assistance. The Houthi advance has raised concerns about the security of the Bab al-Mandeb, a key global shipping lane, prompting a rise in oil prices. U.S. officials indicated that Washington aims to avoid opening a new front while focusing on protecting Red Sea navigation and monitoring Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.
Why it matters
The request highlights Saudi pressure on the U.S. to expand its role in Yemen as Houthi forces threaten a vital maritime chokepoint.
How this story developed
- Aug 31 Jordan Views Israeli West Bank Annexation as Greater Existential Threat Than Iran
- Sep 5 Jordan warned that Israeli annexation could trigger up to 500,000 Palestinian refugees into the kingdom.
- Sep 8 More than 70 people were injured after Houthi rockets hit civilian and economic sites in several Saudi towns, prompting the Saudi-led coalition to promise a response.
- Sep 8 Iran announced plans to establish a maritime exclusion zone extending from the Gulf area.
- Sep 9 The European Union called on the Houthis to stop all attacks and warned of threats to regional stability and Red Sea shipping.
- Sep 10 Saudi civil defence lifted the emergency alert in Khamis Mushait following the Houthi strikes.
- Sep 10 Intense fighting has erupted across Yemen's north, west and central zones, killing at least 194 people and wounding 880 in the past two weeks.
- Sep 10 Houthis intensified attacks on the al‑Makha district near the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait.
- Sep 11 Houthi units have moved onto the Hanish Islands and are pressing southward toward Bab al‑Mandeb.
- Sep 11 GCC nations issued a joint condemnation of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia at the UN Security Council.
- Sep 11 Houthis seized Perim Island and the town of Dhubab.
In this story
Related stories
10 in this thread