00:20A major rift may be emerging between Washington and Riyadh after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed
00:27bin Salman reportedly pressed Donald Trump to launch U.S. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.
00:34According to an Axios report citing two U.S. officials, MBS called Trump twice on Thursday,
00:42September 10, as the security situation along Yemen's Red Sea coast rapidly deteriorated.
00:50The first call was reportedly focused on the worsening situation as the Houthi
00:55forces advanced on and seized the strategic coastal city of Mocha. Saudi-backed Yemeni forces
01:02were forced to retreat as the Houthis expanded their control along the Red Sea coast. But hours later,
01:10MBS reportedly called Trump again and this time the message was direct. The Saudi Crown Prince urged
01:18Trump to order U.S. military strikes against the Houthis. Trump, however, declined. And that
01:25refusal is significant. The Houthis are backed by Iran and their growing presence along Yemen's
01:32western coast brings them closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's most important maritime
01:39choke points. The waterway connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is vital for international shipping
01:46and energy supplies. The Houthi advance, therefore, represents more than another battlefield development
01:54in Yemen. It raises concerns for Saudi Arabia over its own security, oil exports and regional influence.
02:02Yet, despite the Saudi request, U.S. officials say Washington currently has no plans to directly
02:10intervene with military strikes against the Houthis. Instead, the United States is expected to continue
02:17providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting information. Around 200 U.S. military
02:24personnel are reportedly already in Saudi Arabia, providing non-kinetic support. That means
02:31Washington is helping Riyadh identify and track Houthi targets without directly pulling the trigger.
02:38And this is where the latest development becomes especially interesting.
02:43Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia had a very different relationship with the Trump administration over
02:49the Houthis. In July, after Riyadh blocked an Iranian aircraft carrying senior Houthi officials from
02:56landing in Sana'a, MBS sought Trump's political backing for Saudi action. Trump supported the Saudi
03:04position, and Saudi forces carried out related operations. But now, with the Houthis making major
03:11gains on the Red Sea coast, Riyadh appears to be asking Washington for something much bigger — direct
03:18American military action. And Trump is saying no. The timing could not be more sensitive. The Houthi
03:26capture of Mocha puts the group closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, while tensions across the wider
03:33region are already escalating amid the U.S.-Iran conflict. Oil prices also surged as markets reacted to the
03:41latest developments. For Saudi Arabia, the concern is clear. A stronger Houthi presence near the Red Sea
03:49could threaten shipping routes, energy exports, and the kingdom's security. But for Trump, launching
03:55another U.S. military campaign against the Houthis could carry its own risks. It could expand America's
04:02involvement in another Middle Eastern conflict, and potentially bring Washington into a deeper
04:08confrontation with Iran-backed forces. So, for now, Saudi Arabia is asking for American firepower,
04:16while Trump is offering intelligence instead. And that gap between what Riyadh wants and what
04:23Washington is willing to do could become a major test of the U.S.-Saudi relationship as the Houthi
04:30threat continues to grow.
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