US President Donald Trump has rejected a reported request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to launch US strikes against Yemen’s Houthi movement, as Washington seeks to contain the escalating conflict without becoming directly involved.
The crown prince called Trump twice on Thursday and urged him to authorise US military action against the Houthis, Axios reported, citing two US officials. Trump rejected the request, according to the report, while US officials said the administration does not currently intend to take direct military action against the group.
Reuters said it could not immediately independently verify the Axios report. The White House and the Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.
According to Axios, the United States is increasingly concerned about the rapidly escalating conflict in Yemen and is strengthening its support for Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid direct military involvement. The reported decision reflects a broader effort by the Trump administration to prevent the Yemen conflict from becoming another front in a region already affected by wider military tensions.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination talks, Axios reported. The visit comes as Washington and Riyadh seek to coordinate their response to developments involving the Houthis and the security of shipping in the Red Sea.
US military and civilian officials have also told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump’s directive is to keep American forces focused on Iran and on safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, according to Axios. The administration wants to avoid opening another military front while maintaining its broader regional military priorities.
The reported exchange highlights the competing pressures facing Washington and Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has been increasingly concerned about Houthi attacks and their potential impact on regional security and shipping, while the Trump administration appears determined to prevent a direct US military commitment in Yemen.
Reuters reported earlier in July that Saudi Arabia was seeking to build an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks as tensions in and around Yemen continued to escalate. Riyadh’s efforts suggest that the kingdom is looking for a broader international response rather than relying exclusively on direct US military intervention.
The latest escalation dates back to early July, when the Houthis said their forces had confronted Saudi “warplanes” attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.
The confrontation added another dimension to the increasingly volatile relationship between Saudi Arabia, the Houthis and Iran. For Riyadh, the threat posed by the Houthis has increasingly become intertwined with wider regional tensions, while Washington is attempting to balance support for its Saudi partner with a reluctance to expand its own military commitments.
Trump’s reported rejection of the Saudi request therefore leaves Riyadh facing the immediate challenge of responding to the Houthi threat without the direct US strikes it reportedly sought. For Washington, the decision reinforces a stated preference to concentrate American military resources on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz rather than risk opening a separate conflict in Yemen.
With the fighting continuing to intensify, the distinction between supporting Saudi Arabia and directly intervening against the Houthis could become increasingly difficult for the Trump administration to maintain.
