WASHINGTON -UNS: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged US President Donald Trump to launch direct American military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen as the Iran-aligned movement advances along Yemen’s south-western coast towards the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to a report by Axios citing US officials.
Trump rejected the request, however, and the administration is not currently planning direct US military action against the Houthis, the officials said.
The reported exchange marks a significant shift from Riyadh’s position earlier in the summer, when Saudi officials were said to have told Washington that the Kingdom could deal with the Houthi threat without direct American military assistance.
Two Calls Between Mohammed bin Salman and Trump
According to Axios, the Saudi Crown Prince held two telephone conversations with Trump on Thursday.
During the first call, Mohammed bin Salman reportedly briefed the US President on the rapidly deteriorating military situation in Yemen. Hours later, he called Trump again and pressed the US President to authorise American air strikes against Houthi positions.
Trump declined the request, according to US officials cited by the publication.
Washington has nevertheless indicated that it will continue supporting Saudi Arabia through intelligence and targeting information concerning Houthi forces and their positions.
One US official said approximately 200 American military personnel are already stationed in Saudi Arabia, where they provide non-combat support.
Washington Seeks to Avoid Opening Another Front
US officials have reportedly told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that the Trump administration wants American military resources concentrated on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, rather than opening another major front against the Houthis in Yemen.
A senior Trump administration official said Washington’s immediate priority was to keep the Red Sea open while allowing regional partners to take the lead in addressing the wider security challenge.
«“The United States is focused on protecting its core national security interests, such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while enabling our regional partners to lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges.”»
The official added that Washington remained in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognised government over regional stability.
Houthi Advance Towards the Red Sea Coast
The Saudi request came as Houthi forces reportedly launched a major ground offensive along Yemen’s south-western coast.
The offensive has allegedly forced Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces to withdraw from several positions while enabling the Houthis to seize substantial stretches of strategically important territory.
The Houthis reportedly entered Al-Mokha, a key coastal city overlooking the Red Sea, while government forces backed by Riyadh withdrew from parts of the surrounding area.
US officials cited by Axios said the deteriorating battlefield situation and the retreat of Saudi-backed forces towards the coast prompted the Crown Prince’s calls to Trump.
The reported Houthi advance has also raised concerns over the security of Bab al-Mandab, the narrow maritime gateway connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.
Strategic Islands Under Pressure
The military offensive has also reportedly extended towards strategically important islands in and around Bab al-Mandab.
According to reports cited in the material, Houthi forces seized Perim Island, known locally as Mayyun, which lies near the centre of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Control of Perim would give the Houthis a strategically significant position close to one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.
The Houthis were also reported to have advanced towards the Hanish Islands, north of Bab al-Mandab in the southern Red Sea.
A military source reportedly said Houthi forces launched missile attacks against Zuqur Island and moved boats carrying fighters towards the island.
The extent and durability of Houthi control over the islands remain subject to independent verification.
Bab al-Mandab: The Strategic Fault Line
Bab al-Mandab is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. It links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a crucial route between Asian and European markets through the Suez Canal.
Any sustained disruption to the strait could force commercial vessels to take much longer routes around the southern tip of Africa, increasing shipping times, insurance costs and fuel consumption.
For Saudi Arabia, the stakes are particularly high because the Red Sea corridor is strategically important for the Kingdom’s exports and maritime infrastructure.
The possibility of simultaneous instability around Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz has therefore emerged as a major concern for global energy markets.
From July Escalation to Direct Saudi Appeal
The current confrontation reportedly intensified in July after Saudi Arabia prevented an Iranian aircraft carrying senior Houthi officials from landing in Sana’a while returning from the funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
At the time, according to reports cited by Axios, Mohammed bin Salman asked Trump for political backing for a Saudi strike on Sana’a airport.
The Crown Prince reportedly made clear that Riyadh did not require direct American military assistance. Trump subsequently gave political support to the Saudi position.
The Houthis later responded with attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a critical maritime route for Saudi energy exports. Their attacks subsequently expanded to Saudi energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies responded with air strikes and ground operations against Houthi positions.
The latest request for direct American military intervention therefore represents a marked change in Riyadh’s position compared with July, when Saudi Arabia was reportedly confident that it could confront the Houthis without direct US combat support.
CENTCOM Commander in Saudi Arabia
The escalating situation has also triggered intensified US-Saudi military coordination.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), arrived in Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, according to the report.
His visit comes as Washington attempts to balance two competing priorities: supporting Saudi Arabia against an expanding Houthi threat while preventing the Yemen conflict from developing into another major US military commitment.
The distinction is strategically important.
Washington appears prepared to provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting assistance while stopping short of direct American air operations.
The Hormuz-Bab al-Mandab Strategic Dilemma
The latest developments have broader implications because they come against the backdrop of the continuing crisis around the Strait of Hormuz.
The closure or severe disruption of Hormuz has already placed substantial pressure on global energy markets. A simultaneous deterioration around Bab al-Mandab would create a second major maritime chokepoint crisis on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula.
That would expose a substantial portion of global commercial shipping and energy transportation to simultaneous disruption in two strategically critical waterways.
The strategic concern for Washington is therefore not simply the territorial advance of the Houthis inside Yemen.
It is the possibility that the movement could acquire effective military leverage over Bab al-Mandab while Iran retains the ability to threaten or disrupt Hormuz.
Such a scenario could transform the Red Sea and Gulf security crises into a wider maritime-security emergency with direct consequences for global energy prices, international shipping and supply chains.
Strategic Assessment
The immediate significance of the reported Saudi request is political as much as military.
Riyadh is now seeking greater American involvement at precisely the moment Washington is attempting to limit its military commitments.
Trump’s reported refusal suggests that the United States currently views the Houthi advance as a regional security challenge that should primarily be managed by Saudi Arabia and its regional partners, rather than as a conflict requiring immediate US combat intervention.
At the same time, Washington’s decision to provide intelligence and targeting information indicates that it is not disengaging from the crisis.
The emerging US position appears to be one of indirect military support without direct combat participation.
For Saudi Arabia, however, the rapid Houthi advance towards Bab al-Mandab presents a more immediate strategic problem.
If the Houthis consolidate positions along the Red Sea coast and establish durable control over strategically located islands, they could gain increased leverage over one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors.
That would raise the cost of protecting commercial shipping and could compel Saudi Arabia and its partners to expand military operations along the Red Sea coast.
Bottom Line
The central question is no longer simply whether the Houthis can advance along Yemen’s western coastline.
It is whether they can convert territorial gains into sustained control or coercive leverage over Bab al-Mandab.
Saudi Arabia’s reported appeal to Trump for direct US strikes reflects the seriousness with which Riyadh views that possibility.
Trump’s refusal, meanwhile, signals that Washington is seeking to keep American forces focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz while using intelligence and military coordination to support its regional partners.
If the Houthi advance continues and maritime access through Bab al-Mandab becomes contested, the region could face a dangerous two-chokepoint crisis — Hormuz in the Gulf and Bab al-Mandab in the Red Sea — with potentially significant consequences for global energy markets and international trade.
