Trump rejects Saudi request for US strikes on Houthis — media
The US president Donald Trump has declined Saudi Arabia’s request for American strikes against Yemen’s Houthis, Axios reported. Previously, the militant movement had captured a port town overlooking the strategic Bab-el-Mandab strait.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called the US president twice on Thursday as the Iran-backed group advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, according to the report, which cited two US officials.
Washington is increasing support for Riyadh while seeking to avoid another military front. US officials have told their Saudi counterparts that American forces should remain focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported.
Read more: Trump ordered strikes in Yemen to secure Red Sea shipping in 2025
Advance threatens shipping route
The diplomatic appeal came as Houthi forces captured a port town of Mokha on Thursday, according to Houthi and Yemeni officials cited by the Associated Press.
The port lies about 80km from the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The advance puts the group closer to a shipping passage whose importance has grown as the war with Iran disrupts traffic through Hormuz.
Read more: Hormuz shipping traffic drops as US-Iran strikes escalate
Control of Mokha does not itself amount to control of the strait. It could, however, strengthen the Houthis’ ability to threaten vessels using the route.
Fighting spreads beyond Yemen
The offensive follows Houthi missile and drone attacks on southern Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Authorities said 73 people were wounded and oil facilities caught fire. The Houthis described their strikes as retaliation for Saudi attacks in Yemen.
The renewed fighting threatens to unravel the relative calm that followed Yemen’s 2022 truce. It also exposes shipping and energy infrastructure to further disruption as Saudi-backed Yemeni forces struggle to halt the Houthi advance.
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