Trump snubs Saudi Crown Prince’s repeated requests amid raging Houthi attacks on oil facilities in Red Sea

Despite repeated calls from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Trump refused to launch military strikes against Houthis, but opted for intelligence support instead.

US President Donald Trump ignored Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's repeated requests seeking help to deal with Houthi threat on its oil infrastructure in the Red Sea, according to Axios report. The Crown Prince dialed US President twice urging him to launch strikes against the Iran-backed militant group, but Trump declined to intervene directly, the report said citing 2 US officials familiar with the matter.

Houthis launched a large-scale offensive last week against Saudi-backed government forces over another chokepoint Bab al-Mandab Strait as a part of a push to seize the strategic coastal city in Yemen. The strategic waterway in the Red Sea is a vital artery for global trade and Saudi oil exports and Houthi control could possibly provide Tehran with additional leverage over the US and its Gulf allies.

Houthis launched counter strikes after Trump extended the called for political support to Saudi Arabia as Kingdom sought to attack the Sanaa airport.

As fighting escalated between Saudi-backed government forces and Houthis, Saudi Crown Prince called Trump on Thursday to brief him on the deteriorating situation. Another call followed several hours later asking for US strikes against the Houthis but Trump stood firm on his stance and assured to provide intelligence inputs to assist Riyadh in targeting Houthi facilities. Around 200 US military personnel are currently in the Kingdom who are supporting Riyadh.

Why is US avoiding direct military involvement over Bab al-Mandab route

Amid the US-Iran standoff over Strait of Hormuz shipping route, Trump seeks to avoid opening another front to the war. Trump administration's priority is to keep the Red Sea and let regional partners resolve their broader fight, a senior US official informed the news outlet.

"The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges," Axios quoted US official as saying.

He added, “We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen Government regarding regional stability.”

Though US is trying to avoid direct military involvement but is backing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and non-kinetic support. The report further mentions that CENTCOM commander Adm Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings.

On Friday, Houthis completed takeover of Bab al-Mandab area by seizing a key Red Sea island in the middle of the strait, AFP reported.

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