Days after US announced al-Shabaab strikes in Somalia, Trump says NO to Saudi request to attack Houthis in Africa–Middle East shipping route

Two days after US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced fresh strikes against al-Shabaab, Reuters reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had twice called President Donald Trump to urge him to launch military strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi movement.

Trump rejected the request, according to Axios, which cited two US officials.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the report, while US officials confirmed that Washington currently has no plans for direct military action against the Houthis.

The Guardian reports that missile and drone attacks struck Saudi cities including Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran, injuring more than 70 people and damaging southern oil facilities, according to The Guardian.

Egypt condemned the strikes as a “dangerous escalation” and violation of Saudi sovereignty, reaffirming its solidarity and support for the kingdom’s security. Egypt also stressed that Saudi Arabia’s security is integral to Egyptian and Arab national security.

AFRICOM said it conducted an airstrike against al-Shabaab on September 4 at a location about 175 kilometres west of Mogadishu, in coordination with Somalia’s federal government. It also confirmed another strike on September 5 near Quumbi, about 75 kilometres north-northwest of Kismayo.

The command did not disclose casualties, the weapons used or the aircraft involved. It said the operations were intended to degrade al-Shabaab’s ability to threaten US forces and American citizens abroad.

The US position is different in Yemen, despite the Houthis moving closer to one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints.

The Houthis have advanced to Perim Island, also known as Mayun, in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and sits between Yemen and the African coast. Reuters reported that the group’s advance is increasing concerns over global shipping and energy supplies.

Shipping through Bab el-Mandeb has already fallen by about 60% from earlier levels following previous Houthi attacks, according to the Associated Press.

Washington is nevertheless supporting Saudi Arabia without committing American forces directly to the Yemen conflict. US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper travelled to Saudi Arabia for urgent coordination talks, while US officials said Trump wants American forces focused on Iran and protecting the Strait of Hormuz rather than opening another military front.

The contrast puts Africa’s eastern coastline and its trade routes at the centre of a wider US security calculation spanning Somalia, Yemen, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.