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, the Axios news website reported on Thursday.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman contacted US President Donald Trump twice in rapid succession Thursday to request American air operations as the rebel group pushed toward the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, according to the report. The Saudi leader first reached out to describe retreats by allied Yemeni units before formally appealing hours later for direct kinetic intervention.
Trump turned down the request 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, authorizing the transfer of actionable intelligence and targeting information to assist Saudi forces. The data sharing supplements approximately 200 US military personnel stationed in the kingdom to handle advisory and liaison duties.
Washington also dispatched US Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for consultations with senior Saudi defense officials.
The developments coincide with rising friction between Riyadh and the Yemeni group. Speaking on Thursday 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 that wounded 73 people.
Control over Mokha and the surrounding coastline carries critical importance due to its position near 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, after years of relative calm following a truce that began in April 2022.
The Houthis have controlled 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.
