US President Donald Trump rejected phone calls from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammed Bin Salman twice, urging him to launch strikes against Houthis, Axios reported, citing US officials.According to the report, US officials said Trump declined the request because the US has no plans to intervene directly for now.“On Thursday, as Houthi forces advanced on the coastal city of Mokha and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retreated, MBS called Trump to brief him on the deteriorating situation,” US officials told Axios.“Several hours later, MBS called again and urged Trump to order US strikes against the Houthis. Trump declined, but the administration will provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence on the Houthis and targeting data,” they added.According to a senior Trump administration official, Washington’s priority is keeping the Red Sea open while leaving the broader fight to its regional partners.“The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges,” the official told Axios.“We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the republic of Yemen government regarding regional stability,” the official added.This comes after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants seized the key Red Sea port of Mokha and advanced towards the Hanish islands, bringing them closer to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and raising the prospect of a major new threat to one of the world’s most vital shipping routes.Mokha is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a waterway that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and through which about 12% of the world’s goods are typically shipped.Houthi forces have pushed Saudi-backed government troops south towards Dhubab, directly opposite Perim island at the entrance to the strait, according to two Yemeni government sources. Control of the area could put the Houthis in a position to threaten maritime traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb.The Houthis kept mostly to the sidelines when the Iran war began, but over the summer, the rebels increased attacks against Yemen’s internationally recognized government and declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia, which supports it.While the Houthis have their own reasons for fighting the Saudis, the conflict also serves Iran’s interests by ramping up pressure on the American-allied oil producer as Tehran seeks leverage against the US.
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