Washington: The US declined appeals from Saudi Arabia to launch direct military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen following their capture of the strategic coastal city of Mokha, as reported by Axios on Thursday.
According to Anadolu Agency, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman contacted US President Donald Trump twice in rapid succession on Thursday to request American air operations as the rebel group advanced toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Initially, the Saudi leader described retreats by allied Yemeni units before formally appealing hours later for direct kinetic intervention.
Trump rejected the request, opting to maintain a strategic focus on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to avoid opening an additional combat theater, sources familiar with the matter told the news outlet. While ruling out direct air strikes, the White House agreed to provide non-kinetic assistance by authorizing the transfer of actionable intelligence and targeting information to assist Saudi forces. This data sharing supplements the approximately 200 US military personnel stationed in the kingdom handling advisory and liaison duties.
In addition to intelligence support, Washington dispatched US Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for consultations with senior Saudi defense officials. This development coincides with rising friction between Riyadh and the Yemeni group. Speaking before the UN Security Council, Saudi Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil warned that the kingdom would take "all measures necessary" following Houthi strikes earlier this week on civilian sites across southern Saudi cities, which wounded 73 people.
Control over Mokha and the surrounding coastline is critically important due to its proximity to the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping lane connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. Yemen has seen renewed military escalation between government forces and the Houthis since early July, following a period of relative calm after a truce that began in April 2022. The Houthis have maintained control over the national capital Sanaa and large areas of northern and western Yemen since September 2014, while the government and allied forces control areas in the south and east. Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen's government against the Houthis, who are accused of receiving support from Iran.