Media: U.S. refuses to help Saudi Arabia contain the Houthis

The United States has refused to provide Saudi Arabia with air cover to contain the Yemeni rebel movement "Ansar Allah" (the Houthis), citing its focus on Iran.

This was reported by the Financial Times (FT), citing a diplomat.

According to the newspaper, last week, as the Houthis were advancing along the Red Sea coast in Yemen, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud called U.S. President Donald Trump to request support. However, according to the diplomat, Riyadh was turned down. Washington stated that it was not ready to intervene at this moment, as it is focused on the conflict with Iran.

As the newspaper writes, Saudi Arabia has found itself in a situation where a Houthi offensive is underway in the south, while in the north there is a threat of attacks from Shiite militias in Iraq. Riyadh earlier announced the closure of the "East-West" oil pipeline, which had been used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, after a series of drone attacks. Against this backdrop, oil production in Saudi Arabia fell in August to 6.2 million barrels per day, the lowest level in 36 years. Analysts expect a reduction in refinery output in the near future.

As the publication notes, the current situation has become the biggest test for the crown prince since 2018. Earlier he had tried to extricate the kingdom from the conflict in Yemen, but in July the Houthis announced a blockade of Saudi ports. Riyadh regards their demands as extortion and is wavering between escalation and a new truce.

The situation in Yemen sharply escalated in early September, when the rebel movement went on the offensive in the southwest of the country. Simultaneously with their ground advance, the Houthis began striking coastal areas of the Red Sea and the vicinity of the city of Taiz with missiles and drones, seeking to cut off routes to Mocha and to advance toward areas located near the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait.