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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged U.S. President Donald Trump to authorize military strikes against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis, but Trump rejected the request, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.
The Saudi leader, widely known as MBS, reportedly made the appeal during two phone calls with Trump on Thursday as Houthi forces advanced toward the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. The group recently captured the coastal city of Mokha, fueling concerns about further disruption to global shipping and energy flows.
Despite Saudi Arabia’s request, U.S. officials said the Trump administration currently has no intention of directly attacking Houthi forces. Washington is instead increasing assistance to Riyadh while attempting to avoid opening another military front in the Middle East.
U.S. Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination talks, according to sources cited by Axios.
While Trump declined to order U.S. strikes, Washington is expected to provide Saudi forces with intelligence and targeting information related to Houthi positions. Around 200 U.S. military personnel are already stationed in Saudi Arabia and providing what one official described as non-kinetic assistance.
The situation has become increasingly urgent as the Houthis intensify attacks on Saudi targets and push closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The narrow waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a critical route for international trade and energy shipments.
Reuters has reported that roughly 7% of global oil production passes through Bab al-Mandab, making any prolonged disruption a potential threat to oil supplies, shipping costs and global energy markets.
The escalating Houthi-Saudi conflict comes as Washington remains focused on Iran and security around other crucial Middle East shipping routes.
Neither the White House nor the Saudi embassy in Washington provided comments to Axios regarding the reported conversations between Trump and Mohammed bin Salman.
