Trump declines Saudi crown prince’s call for US strikes on Houthis

President Donald Trump turned down a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to launch US military strikes against the Houthis. According to Axios, the Saudi leader contacted Trump twice on Thursday to urge such action. However, the White House and Saudi embassy in Washington declined to confirm the report as of press time. Reuters could not independently verify the claim.

The US administration appears to be focusing on supporting Saudi Arabia while avoiding direct military involvement in the rapidly escalating conflict in Yemen. US Central Command Commander Admiral Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination talks. US military and civilian officials have also conveyed to their Saudi counterparts that Trump's directive is to keep American forces concentrated on Iran and protecting the Strait of Hormuz, rather than opening another military front.

In early July, Saudi Arabia sought to form an international coalition to shield shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks as tensions in and around Yemen continued to rise. The conflict originated in early July when the Houthis confronted Saudi warplanes attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.