US President Donald Trump rejected a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for direct US strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, as fighting intensified and the group approached the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Axios reported, citing US officials.
Two Saudi calls and US rejection of strikes
He said about 200 US personnel are in the kingdom providing non-combat support. According to the report, US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, while the Saudi Embassy in Washington and the White House declined to comment.
Axios quoted informed sources as saying that US officials had told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump's directives called for US forces to focus on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and avoid opening an additional military front. The Saudi request came as Houthi forces advanced toward the coastal city of Mocha and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retreated, according to US officials.
The report said the confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis resumed in July 2026 before expanding to attacks on Saudi tankers and energy facilities, as well as airstrikes and ground attacks on the group's positions.
