Houthis push for control of Yemen highlands as Trump is said to have called off strikes
By Mohammed Ghobari and Jana Choukeir DUBAI, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Houthi fighters pushed to seize strategic heights in Yemen on Monday to cut off the Red Sea coast from remaining areas held by Saudi-backed forces, after a report that President Donald Trump had called off US strikes on the group at the last minute. A lightning advance by the Iran-backed group this month has extended the wider…
President Trump evaluated the possibility of launching military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen over the weekend, according to two U.S. officials. The decision to hold off was due to a delicate balance between supporting Saudi Arabia and avoiding further entanglement in the Middle East. The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had urgently urged Trump to strike the Houthis, as the Iran-backed group approached a critical Red Sea chokepoint.
However, Trump only agreed to provide intelligence and targeting data to the Saudis, refraining from direct military action. Saudi Arabia and Yemen were preparing a counteroffensive against the Houthis, but it had been delayed multiple times. Meanwhile, the Houthis intensified their attacks on Saudi Arabia, including a missile launch towards Riyadh.
Despite assurances from Houthi officials that they would not close the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, the Saudis repeatedly asked Trump for military intervention, leading to consultations among senior U.S. advisers, including Adm. Brad Cooper. Ultimately, Trump opted against strikes, fearing the potential risks and consequences.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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