Summary

Saudi's MBS dialled Trump, warplanes were readied to hit Houthis. Then, a U-turn The US military had reportedly prepared target lists and loaded warplanes for a potential Houthi strike after Trump changed course following MBS's appeal, but the president halted the operation days later. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally pressed US President Donald Trump to launch American airstrikes against the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen. Following the call, Trump had briefly ordered the Pentagon to prepare for military action before reversing course days later, according to a New York Times report. Trump had been weighing Saudi appeals for US military assistance for about two weeks as Houthi forces rapidly expanded their control over strategically important territory near the Red Sea. The issue came to a head last Thursday, when MBS, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and a major US ally in the war against Iran, called Trump and again urged him to intervene. Trump had reportedly told his advisers just a day earlier that he did not favour launching strikes against the Houthis. But following his conversation with MBS, the president changed course and instructed the Pentagon to prepare for airstrikes, the Times reported, citing administration officials. Trump had been weighing Saudi Arabia's requests for military assistance for nearly two weeks as the Houthis intensified their attacks against the kingdom. The US president had initially told advisers that he did not favour launching strikes against the group. However, that position changed after Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler and a key US ally in the war against Iran, called Trump on Thursday and again pressed him to act against the Houthis, according to administration officials cited by the newspaper. But by Sunday, Trump had apparently changed his position once more, deciding that the United States would not launch strikes against the Houthis, at least for the time being. WARPLANES WERE BEING PREPARED FOR STRIKES The US President's reversal came when the American military was reportedly close to carrying out the planned operation. The US commanders had approved lists of Houthi targets, while troops were loading bombs onto American warplanes selected for the missions. The attacks were reportedly on the verge of beginning when the order was halted. The developments highlighted the uncertainty within the Trump administration over whether the United States should become directly involved in Saudi Arabia's renewed military confrontation with the Houthis. The White House press office declined to comment on Trump's deliberations for the record. A senior administration official, however, said the United States has a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia and "will always defend our allies." TRUMP SAYS HE IS IN 'DECIDING MODE' Trump, speaking to Fox News on Sunday morning, said he was in "deciding mode" over the broader war involving Iran. On the question of the Houthis, Trump said the United States remained in constant communication with the group. He also pointed to the fact that the Houthis had so far agreed not to attack the United States, according to Yingst's account cited by the Times. While the Houthis have avoided attacking US ships, they have intensified their campaign against Saudi Arabia, which is an American ally and has been involved in Yemen's conflict for years. Most members of Trump's inner circle were described by a senior administration official as either deeply sceptical of, or outright opposed to, joining Saudi Arabia's fight against the Houthis. SAUDI COOPERATION KEY TO TRUMP Any decision on Hiuthis has broader implications because Washington needs Saudi cooperation in its wider conflict with Iran. Some US military officials have argued that Saudi Arabia's assistance is important to the American war effort against Iran. Riyadh, meanwhile, has demonstrated that it can exert leverage over US military operations in the region. It was earlier reported Saudi Arabia had effectively halted a Trump administration plan to use the US military to escort commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia did so by refusing the United States access to its airspace and American military bases in the kingdom. That experience has complicated Trump's calculations as he weighs whether to intervene against the Houthis on Saudi Arabia's behalf. A US decision to strike Houthi targets could also coincide with a planned ground offensive by Yemeni government forces, according to officials cited in the report. Those forces, however, have previously struggled to make significant gains against the Houthis. HOUTHIS' RENEWED FIGHT WITH SAUDI ARABIA The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, since 2014. The conflict eased considerably after a truce came into effect in 2022. However, the Houthis became involved again in the broader Middle East conflict this summer, declaring a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and attacking Saudi vessels. The group subsequently captured strategically important areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden. The developments have raised concerns about further disruption to global shipping and energy markets, which are already under pressure because of the wider US-Israeli war against Iran. For Trump, the Houthi question therefore presents a difficult strategic calculation. Joining Saudi Arabia militarily could deepen US involvement in another Middle Eastern conflict, while holding back risks straining relations with a key regional ally whose cooperation Washington needs in its broader confrontation with Iran.