Saudi Arabia asked Trump to strike the Houthis
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud called U.S. President Donald Trump twice on Thursday with a request to strike the positions of the Yemeni Houthis from the rebel movement Ansar Allah.
This was reported by the Axios portal, citing sources.
According to the outlet, the crown prince appealed to Trump amid increased Houthi activity. The U.S. president denied Saudi Arabia direct military support, stating that at this stage the priority for the United States is confronting Iran and opening the Strait of Hormuz.
Amid the escalation, the Pentagon on Thursday sent the commander of the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, to Saudi Arabia for consultations.
The situation in Yemen sharply escalated in early September, when the Yemeni rebel movement went on the offensive in the southwest of the country. At the same time, the Houthis began carrying out missile and drone strikes on the coastal areas of the Red Sea and the outskirts of the city of Taiz. Their goal was to cut off routes to the city of Mokha and advance toward areas located near the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
