Trump Rejects Saudi Call for US Strikes on Houthis as Advisers Aid Red Sea Campaign

President Donald Trump has declined a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to launch direct US airstrikes against Yemen's Iran backed Houthis, even as Washington deepens intelligence and targeting support for the Kingdom's military campaign, according to reporting by Axios and CNN published this week.

The crown prince called Trump twice on Thursday, September 10, urging strikes as fighting intensified along Yemen's Red Sea coast, according to Axios. Trump rejected the appeal, and US officials said the administration does not intend to take direct military action against the Houthis at this time.

What the US is providing

As of mid September 2026, more than 100 US military advisers, with one US official putting the total number of American personnel at roughly 200, are on the ground in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting support, CNN reported. The personnel are working as part of a newly established joint forces command formed in recent weeks.

According to CNN, the US has helped Saudi Arabia use a real time battlefield targeting tool that sources compared to the Pentagon's Maven system, along with geospatial targeting support for strikes against the Houthis. The assistance stops short of direct participation in strikes. Washington is sharing intelligence, as it already does routinely, but the posture remains one of support without direct combat.

There is significant wariness within the US military about the risks of closer involvement, particularly the danger of being associated with a strike that causes civilian casualties. Officials cited memories of controversial targeting support provided to Riyadh during earlier administrations, and a months long US campaign against the Houthis in Trump's second term that ended in an abrupt ceasefire.

The battle for the Red Sea coast

The escalation follows a rapid Houthi advance. On Thursday, September 10, the group captured the Yemeni port of Mokha after days of fighting, according to reporting by CNN, CNBC and other outlets. Mokha sits about 75 kilometers north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint that serves as a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for Saudi oil exports.

Analysts described the seizure as a major setback for Saudi Arabia, raising the possibility of a tighter Houthi grip on the strait. Days of fighting near the Red Sea coast have left more than 300 people dead and displaced hundreds of families, according to reporting cited by Al Jazeera. Saudi forces launched at least 15 strikes on Houthi targets in early September.

The conflict escalated after the Houthis launched drone and ballistic missile attacks on energy sites in southern Saudi Arabia and imposed a naval blockade on Saudi shipping. In August, a Houthi attack on the Tanzania flagged cargo ship Tihamah in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait killed six people, the first fatalities in a Houthi ship strike since the US and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February 2026.

Iran's role

The Houthis' offensive came with direct guidance from Iran's Revolutionary Guards seeking to open a new front in Iran's war with the United States, according to Yemeni government, Iranian and regional sources cited by CNN. Sources said Iran told the group last week to escalate its attacks, promising funding, weapons and senior officers.

Iran has long been the Houthis' principal foreign backer, supplying missile and drone technology, training and intelligence, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. Washington has separately taken measures against firms linked to Tehran's networks, as detailed in Indian Era's earlier report on US sanctions targeting Iran linked companies .

Impact on global shipping

Major ocean carriers continue to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding thousands of nautical miles and up to two weeks to voyages between Asia, Europe and the US East Coast. Iran's foreign ministry has said the conflict cannot be resolved through a blockade or military action and has called for dialogue.

The situation remains fast moving, with several details, particularly around the September offensive, resting on government and regional sourcing that continues to develop.