President Donald Trump turned down a request from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for military strikes against Houthi fighters in Yemen, news outlet Axios reported on Thursday.
The Iran-backed Houthis, who have controlled large parts of northern Yemen for years, launched a major offensive last week against Saudi-backed government forces. The fighting killed hundreds.
Saudi Arabia hit back with dozens of airstrikes. The latest two struck an airport, Houthi media reported on Friday.
Crown prince makes urgent appeal
The Saudi crown prince called Trump on Thursday to brief him about the worsening military situation in Yemen. Houthi forces were moving closer to the coastal city of Mokha, Axios reported, citing two unnamed US officials.
The crown prince called Trump again a few hours later. This time he asked for strikes on the Houthis. The American president said no.
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US offers intelligence support
Washington will give Saudi Arabia intelligence on the Houthis and targeting data. More than 200 US military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia providing “non-kinetic support,” a US official told Axios.
Riyadh said in July it could handle the Houthis on its own despite the conflict getting worse.
Houthis seize key waterway
On Friday, Houthi fighters in Yemen took control of a key Red Sea island in the middle of the Bab al-Mandab strait. The move gave them control of a waterway that Saudi Arabia uses to export oil.
The fighting in Yemen has become central to the Middle East war. The war started with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. The Islamic republic then blocked another waterway vital to global energy flows, the Strait of Hormuz.
Both Brent North Sea Crude, the main international benchmark, and US oil contract WTI were above $100 on Friday.
US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Brad Cooper travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, Axios reported.
