Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called U.S. President Donald Trump twice on Thursday and urged him to launch strikes against the Houthis, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.
U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 18, 2025. Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called U.S. President Donald Trump twice on Thursday and urged him to launch strikes against the Houthis, Axios reported, citing two U.S. officials.
Trump rejected the request, and U.S. officials said the administration does not intend to take direct military action against the Houthis at this time, the report said.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. The White House and Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment outside regular business hours.
According to Axios, the U.S. is increasingly concerned about the rapidly escalating conflict in Yemen and is stepping up support for Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid direct military involvement.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination talks, according to the report.
U.S. military and civilian officials have also told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump's directive is to keep American forces focused on Iran and safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, while avoiding the opening of another military front, Axios added.
Reuters reported earlier in July that Saudi Arabia is seeking to build an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, as tensions in and around Yemen continue to escalate.
The escalation dates back to early July, when the Houthis said their forces confronted Saudi "warplanes" that were attempting to prevent an Iranian civilian aircraft from landing at Sanaa International Airport.
Reporting by Bipasha Dey
The U.S. government announced new sanctions on Thursday against firms and individuals that it says are aiding Hezbollah and other Iranian proxies in the Middle East as it intensified its campaign to isolate Iran economically.
Iranian strikes damaged multiple American military aircraft this week on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, a U.S. official told Reuters.
The Iran-backed Houthis are seeking to control the whole Yemeni Red Sea coast, which would further consolidate their leverage over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait — one of the busiest and most contested global maritime chokepoints.
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