Axios: Trump backs Saudi military action against Yemen’s Houthis
US President Donald Trump voiced support for a Saudi-proposed military operation against Yemen’s Houthi movement during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on July 10, Axios reports, citing US officials.
The Saudi strike on Sanaa airport on Monday and the subsequent Houthi missile response marked the most serious cross-border escalation between the sides since 2022, raising concerns that an unofficial four-year truce could be nearing collapse.
A renewed confrontation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis risks further destabilising the region and could widen the broader confrontation involving the United States and Iran.
According to US officials, the fact that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman informed Trump in advance and sought Washington’s backing suggests Riyadh is preparing for a larger conflict that could require both American military and diplomatic support.
Saudi officials reportedly approached Washington last week to express concern over the deteriorating situation and request support for potential operations against the Houthis.
On July 9, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States met Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. Rubio then held talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan the following day.
Shortly afterwards, Trump spoke by phone with the Saudi crown prince, a U.S. official revealed. During the conversation, Mohammed bin Salman requested American support for military action against the Houthis and received the president’s approval.
Asked for comment, the White House referred to remarks Trump made during a Fox News interview on Monday, in which he sharply criticised Iran.
The Saudi embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The latest escalation began around 10 days ago when an aircraft operated by Iran’s Mahan Air landed in the Houthi-controlled capital of Sanaa to transport a delegation of Houthi leaders to Iran for the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Such flights are highly unusual, as direct air traffic between Iran and Sanaa has been blocked for more than a decade by Saudi Arabia, which has long argued that the route could be used to transfer weapons or Iranian military advisers to the Houthis.
“Mahan Air is the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] airline. It was designated and sanctioned by the U.S. government,” a U.S. official stated.
The Houthis alleged that Saudi fighter jets attempted unsuccessfully to prevent the aircraft from landing and warned they would target Saudi airports if similar incidents occurred again.
On July 14, as the Iranian plane returned from Iran carrying the Houthi delegation, Saudi forces struck Sanaa airport, forcing the aircraft to divert and land in the Red Sea port city of Al Hudaydah.
A US official alleged that the aircraft was transporting weapons, missile components and military advisers intended for the Houthis.
The Houthis responded by launching ballistic missiles and drones toward Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia and warned airlines against using Saudi airspace until restrictions on Sanaa airport are lifted.
By Bakhtiyar Abbasov