Saudi Crown Prince Sought Trump’s Military Help Against Houthis

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked U.S. President Donald Trump for military assistance to help fight Iran-aligned Houthi forces in Yemen, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday, as the Houthis intensified their threat to shipping in the Red Sea.

Trump and the Saudi leader held at least two phone conversations on Thursday, the sources said. Trump, however, did not agree to U.S. military strikes against the Houthis. Instead, Washington offered to provide Riyadh with intelligence-sharing and targeting assistance, according to the sources.

The White House did not directly respond to a Reuters question about whether the two leaders had spoken by phone. A senior U.S. administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington remained in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government.

“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.

Two sources said Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for talks. The report of the Saudi request to Trump was first published by Axios.

Saudi Arabia’s Shift in Approach

The Saudi appeal marks a significant shift in Riyadh’s recent approach to the Houthi threat.

In July, Saudi Arabia told the United States that it could confront the Houthis on its own and stressed that the conflict should not escalate further, according to a fourth person familiar with the matter. Saudi officials also urged Washington to increase economic pressure on Iran.

A former senior U.S. official familiar with the developments said the Saudi leader’s outreach to Trump on Thursday was aimed at determining whether Washington could increase military pressure on the Houthis rather than leaving Riyadh to confront the group alone.

“So far, they’ve been told no,” the former official said.

The development comes as the U.S. war with Iran has entered its seventh month with no immediate end in sight. The conflict has pushed up global oil prices and U.S. gasoline costs, contributing to a sharp decline in Trump’s approval ratings ahead of the November midterm elections.

Growing Risk Around Bab el-Mandeb

Iran-backed Houthi forces have made a dramatic advance along Yemen’s Red Sea coast in recent days, reaching the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Friday, according to four Yemeni government sources cited by Reuters.

Control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait could provide Iran with a major strategic advantage in its conflict with the United States by threatening another critical maritime corridor and disrupting energy supplies. Any prolonged disruption could further push up global oil prices.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea and is strategically important for international shipping. It provides an alternative maritime route to the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed during the Iran conflict.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has increasingly relied on the Red Sea route after the conflict effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply previously flowed.

Tensions between Riyadh and the Houthis escalated in early July after Houthi forces confronted what they described as Saudi warplanes attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport. The exchange of fire ended a four-year truce between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned group.

The broader conflict began after the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian strikes against Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. military bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

Source: Reuters