Two U.S. officials said Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President
Trump twice on Thursday urged strikes on Houthi forces after they seized a
strategic coastal city, bringing them closer to the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait. Trump
declined, and U.S. officials say the government currently has no plans for
direct strikes on the Houthis. With Iran having already disrupted traffic
through the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi control of Bab al‑Mandeb could give Tehran
a new lever over the U.S. and its Gulf allies. Washington, alarmed by the rapid
escalation in Yemen, has stepped up support for Riyadh while trying to avoid
direct military intervention; the Saudi request marks a sharp reversal from
July, when Riyadh said it could handle the Houthis alone.
