Saudi crown prince urged Trump to strike Houthis amid Red Sea threat

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) called President Trump twice Thursday, urging him to launch strikes against the Houthis as the Iran-backed group closed in on a vital Red Sea chokepoint, two U.S. officials told Axios.

Trump declined, and U.S. officials stressed the administration has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis for now.

Why it matters: Oil prices surged Thursday as the Houthis seized a strategic coastal city in Yemen, pushing them closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a vital artery for global trade and Saudi oil exports.

With Iran already disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz , Houthi control of Bab al-Mandab could give Tehran a powerful new point of leverage over the U.S. and its Gulf allies.

Driving the news: The U.S. is concerned about the rapidly escalating fight in Yemen and is stepping up support for Saudi Arabia while trying to avoid direct military involvement.

Adm.

Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S.

Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.

The Saudi embassy in Washington and the White House declined to comment.

Catch up quick: The Saudi-Houthi confrontation reignited in July after Riyadh prevented an Iranian plane carrying senior Houthi officials home from the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from landing in Sanaa.

MBS asked Trump for political backing to strike the Sanaa airport, but made clear Saudi Arabia did not need U.S. military assistance.

Trump gave him his support.

The Houthis retaliated by attacking Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a crucial route for the kingdom's oil exports, and later expanded their attacks to Saudi energy facilities.

Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies responded with airstrikes and ground offensives against Houthi positions.