The U.S. State Department is aware of reports that President Donald Trump has given Saudi Arabia the green light to launch military action against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement following attacks on the kingdom, a department spokesperson told MBN in a statement.
Saudi-backed Yemeni forces struck Sanaa International Airport on Monday to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing, prompting the Houthis to target Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The spokesman for the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen said it intercepted a ballistic missile attack by “the terrorist Houthi militia” toward Saudi Arabia’s southern region.
The latest escalation raises the prospect of a new front in the region and heightens concerns over maritime security in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. The sea route is a key alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian attacks have disrupted international shipping.
U.S. news outlet Axios, citing two U.S. officials, reported that Trump told Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman he supported military action against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.
According to the report, the crown prince briefed Trump in advance and sought his backing because the Saudis are concerned that the conflict with the Houthis could expand, requiring military and diplomatic support from the United States.
“We are aware of these reports and are monitoring the situation closely,” the State Department said In a written response to MBN, emphasizing the “strategic partnership” between the United States and Saudi Arabia, which it said “has grown even stronger under President Trump’s administration.”
The department reaffirmed that the U.S. stands firmly with Saudi Arabia “against Iranian aggression, including attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis,” adding that Washington remains committed to the kingdom’s security and regional stability.
The administration’s National Security Strategy is based on the principle that “our core interests in the region include ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and preventing the export of terrorism,” according to the State Department. “It is critically important to continue efforts to counter the Iran-backed Houthis and other terrorist groups in Yemen that threaten these U.S. interests.”
The State Department also reiterated to MBN its commitment to enforcing the Trump administration’s designation of the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and condemned what it described as “Iran’s blatant violation of Yemen’s sovereignty through its support for its Houthi proxies.”
Axios reported that Saudi Ambassador to Washington Princess Reema bint Bandar Al Saud met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. One day later, Rubio held a phone call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. Shortly afterward, on Friday, Trump spoke by telephone with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Should Saudi Arabia launch strikes against the Houthis, the group would likely seek to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a move that could have consequences across the region.
The narrow Bab al-Mandab is a chokepoint on a key transit route for Saudi oil exports and a significant share of global maritime trade.
After Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, it is now signaling that it could encourage its Houthi allies in Yemen to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
Iran’s Press TV reported that a senior Houthi official warned Monday that the group was prepared to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait if Saudi Arabia continued its military campaign in Yemen.
Saudi Response Seen as Unlikely
Retired Saudi Major General Mohammed Al-Qubayban told MBN he does not expect Riyadh to pursue further escalation, noting that the missiles fired toward the kingdom had been intercepted. He also pointed to Saudi Arabia’s preference for de-escalation and avoiding a broader conflict.
Salem Al-Yami, a former adviser at the Saudi Foreign Ministry, said any military response is more likely to come from the internationally recognized Yemeni government backed by Riyadh. He cited recent remarks by Yemen’s defense minister, describing them as “highly assertive.”
Al-Yami said the Yemeni government could receive support from the Saudi-led coalition, though he does not expect the coalition itself to become a direct party to any conflict.
He also pointed to reports of tribal groups organizing into alliances that could confront the Houthis.
Al-Yami outlined several possible scenarios, saying the response is likely to remain limited to Yemeni actors. However, if Houthi attacks expand to target other Gulf states, the level of escalation could rise to a medium or even high level.
If the Houthis begin disrupting international shipping or laying naval mines at Iran’s direction, he said, the conflict would likely enter a new phase that draws in international powers.
The strike on Abha marked the first Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia claimed by the group since an informal truce between the two sides took effect in March 2022, raising new doubts about the durability of the ceasefire.
Adapted and translated from the original Arabic.
