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US Rules Out Strikes on Houthis for Now
(MENAFN) Washington has no current plan to launch direct military strikes on Houthi fighters in Yemen, though it is quietly feeding Saudi Arabia extensive intelligence and targeting data, two US officials told media on Friday. That stance, the officials cautioned, could change quickly if attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes escalate.
Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads US Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for talks underscoring that support, one official said. The same day, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke twice by phone with President Donald Trump, pushing for direct US military involvement — though stopping short of framing it as indispensable, the official added.
A senior administration official said the US strategy centers on safeguarding "core national security interests," singling out freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while pushing regional allies to take the lead on security matters. A second official said Riyadh has indicated it is prepared to launch a major solo offensive against the Houthis, though no final call has been made.
Adding urgency to the standoff, officials said Houthi forces overran Yemen's west coast early Friday, though government troops and allied militias kept fighting, leaving the battle's outcome unresolved without outside intervention.
The fighting marks a sharp reversal after a 2022 truce had brought relative quiet; hostilities between Yemen's government and the Houthis have flared again since early July. The Houthis have held Sanaa and much of northern and western Yemen since September 2014, while government-aligned forces control the south and east. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition backing the Yemeni government since 2015 against the Houthis, who Riyadh says are backed by Iran.
Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads US Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for talks underscoring that support, one official said. The same day, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke twice by phone with President Donald Trump, pushing for direct US military involvement — though stopping short of framing it as indispensable, the official added.
A senior administration official said the US strategy centers on safeguarding "core national security interests," singling out freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, while pushing regional allies to take the lead on security matters. A second official said Riyadh has indicated it is prepared to launch a major solo offensive against the Houthis, though no final call has been made.
Adding urgency to the standoff, officials said Houthi forces overran Yemen's west coast early Friday, though government troops and allied militias kept fighting, leaving the battle's outcome unresolved without outside intervention.
The fighting marks a sharp reversal after a 2022 truce had brought relative quiet; hostilities between Yemen's government and the Houthis have flared again since early July. The Houthis have held Sanaa and much of northern and western Yemen since September 2014, while government-aligned forces control the south and east. Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition backing the Yemeni government since 2015 against the Houthis, who Riyadh says are backed by Iran.
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