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Trump declines MBS request for US strikes on Houthis, Axios reports

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman made two calls to President Trump on Thursday urging US strikes against the Houthis, but Trump declined, per Axios citing two US officials. The refusal marks a deviation from prior US support for Saudi-led military action and signals a potential shift in US posture toward the Houthis and Iran. The report is unconfirmed by official statements, and the implications for Red Sea security and US-Saudi relations remain uncertain.

Straits Timesabout 18 hours agoUS, SA, YE, IRengCredibility 44%View source

Score Breakdown

Mosaic Score6.7

Confidence0.3

Significance0.8

Source credibility0.4

Intelligence Tags

#houthis #us-saudi relations #military strikes #red sea #trump #mbs

Locations

Red Sea

Entities

countrycountrycountrypersonpersonregion

Source

Part of 2 situations

activeGeopoliticsConflictjust now

Saudi Arabia — 8 developments

→ stable·15 signals·SA, IR, US +2Score 6.6

developingGeopoliticsConflict10h ago

US Rejects Saudi Request for Direct Houthi Strikes Amid Escalating Red Sea Tensions

The US has declined Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's requests for direct military strikes against Houthi targets, despite Houthi advances threatening the Bab al-Mandab Strait and increasing oil prices. This decision indicates a US preference for diplomatic or indirect approaches, such as intelligence support, over direct military intervention in Yemen, potentially to prioritize deterrence in the broader Iran conflict. The extent of US Patriot missile expenditure and the scope of new sanctions on Iran supporters remain unconfirmed.

→ stable·6 signals·SA, US, YE +1Score 6.4