Trump halted planned U.S. airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthis after Saudi request for action near Bab al‑Mandeb
Two U.S. officials say Donald Trump ordered the Pentagon to prepare airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen after a call from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as Houthi forces advanced toward the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait. The president later decided not to proceed, leaving Saudi Arabia to rely on U.S. intelligence support instead of direct American strikes.
U.S. forces came close to launching airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi movement over the weekend before Donald Trump pulled back at the last moment, according to two U.S. officials.
The officials say the episode began after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged Trump to take military action as Houthi fighters advanced toward the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait, a narrow passage that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The chokepoint is a key route for trade between Europe and Asia.
Trump initially rejected the request for direct military intervention, agreeing only to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence. As reports of Houthi gains near the strait continued, however, he ordered the Pentagon to prepare airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, the officials said.
Planning moved quickly, with targets selected and forces readied, but Trump decided not to go ahead with the strikes when they were close to being carried out. The specific reasons for his reversal were not detailed by the officials.
Instead of U.S. airstrikes, Washington stuck to its earlier position of supplying Saudi Arabia with intelligence as the kingdom confronted the Houthi advance.
For people in areas under Houthi control or near front lines, the decision meant that any air attacks would continue to come from regional forces rather than directly from the United States. For crews on ships using Bab al‑Mandeb, it underlined how the security of a vital sea lane hinges on rapid choices in Washington and Riyadh.
The incident highlights how concerns over a single maritime chokepoint can bring major powers to the brink of new military action, even when they ultimately step back.
What happens next will depend on how far Houthi forces push toward Bab al‑Mandeb, how Saudi Arabia responds, and whether a future U.S. administration revisits strike options if threats to traffic through the strait increase.
Sources
- OSINT