Despite Yemen’s plea for US military support, president Donald Trump stopped short of committing American forces to counter the Houthis during a call with Yemeni president Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday.Alimi had sought Washington’s backing for his Saudi-backed government after the Iran-aligned Houthis rapidly seized key areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, particularly around the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait.According to sources cited by Reuters, Trump made no direct pledge of military assistance during the call.Earlier, US officials had reportedly met Houthi representatives at the US embassy in Muscat, organised by the longtime regional mediator, Oman. The Houthis had affirmed their commitment to the 2025 ceasefire, saying no commercial ships would be targeted in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, except the Saudis. Reuters reported.Nearly seven-month-old Iran conflict has already kept US forces in deep waters, with the Mandeb strait acting as an alternative to Hormuz. In such a case, a US military campaign in the now Houthi dominated waters could prove disastrous for the regional allies and overall global trade.
U-turn at the last moment
According to The New York Times, Trump administration had prepared to launch airstrikes against the Houthis on Sunday, following fresh pleas from the Saudi crown prince. However, the newspaper reported that Trump called off the strikes at the last minute.Two people briefed on the operation said Trump pulled back from, or at least delayed, striking Houthi targets even as commanders had approved target lists and troops were loading bombs onto US warplanes chosen for the missions, with the wave of attacks about to begin.Trump had reportedly met with advisers the previous day and told them he was not in favour of the strikes.The Houthis have fought against the Saudi-led coalition for more than a decade. Tensions reignited in July when the group declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea as a response to the Saudi blockade of Yemen’s ports.According to Reuters, Saudi forces have launched hundreds of strikes in recent days on Houthi positions in the highlands.The United Nations has reported that nearly 700 people have been killed and thousands injured in the flare-up in fighting, with nearly 130,000 Yemenis displaced within the country and more than 3,000 fleeing by boat across the Red Sea to Africa.On Sunday, Trump said he remained in “deciding mode” over the Middle East situation, this includes whether to protect its long term regional ally, or maintain truce with the Iran-backed group.
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