Trump Rejects Saudi Request for Strikes on Houthis Amid Yemen Conflict Escalation

US President Donald Trump has rejected a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for strikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen, according to Axios. The Iran-backed Houthis have been waging a large-scale offensive against Saudi-backed government forces, killing hundreds.

The Saudi crown prince called Trump on Thursday to inform him about the deteriorating military situation in Yemen and requested strikes on the Houthis, but Trump declined. Instead, Washington will provide Riyadh with intelligence on the Houthis and targeting data.

More than 200 US military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia providing non-kinetic support, a US official said. The conflict has taken center stage in the Middle East war, which erupted with US-Israeli strikes on Iran and prompted the Islamic republic to blockade another waterway crucial to global energy flows.

The fighting in Yemen has also seen Houthi fighters seize a key Red Sea island in the Bab al-Mandab strait, completing a push to take control of a waterway critical to Saudi oil exports. Brent North Sea Crude and US oil contract WTI were both above $100 on Friday.