The US declined Saudi Arabia’s appeals to launch direct military strikes against Houthis in Yemen following their capture of the strategic coastal city of Mocha, the Axios news website reported on Thursday.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman contacted US President Donald Trump twice in quick succession to request American air operations as the Houthis advanced towards the Bab al Mandeb Strait, according to the report.
The crown prince initially described the retreat of allied Yemeni forces before formally requesting direct military intervention hours later.
Trump rejected the request to maintain Washington’s focus on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and avoid opening another combat theatre, sources familiar with the matter told Axios.
While ruling out direct air strikes, the White House agreed to provide non-combat assistance, authorising the transfer of actionable intelligence and targeting information to Saudi forces.
The intelligence-sharing comes in addition to around 200 US military personnel stationed in the kingdom in advisory and liaison roles.
Washington also sent US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for consultations with senior Saudi defence officials.
The developments come amid rising tensions between Riyadh and the Houthis. Addressing the UN Security Council on Thursday, Saudi Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil said the kingdom would take “all measures necessary” after Houthi strikes on civilian sites in southern Saudi cities earlier this week wounded 73 people.
Control of Mocha and the surrounding coastline is strategically important because of its proximity to the Bab al Mandeb Strait, a vital shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen has seen renewed fighting between government forces and the Houthis since early July, following years of relative calm under a truce that began in April 2022.
The Houthis have controlled the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of northern and western Yemen since September 2014, while the internationally recognised government and allied forces hold areas in the south and east.
Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s government against the Iran-aligned Houthis since March 2015.
