Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged President Donald Trump to join his air campaign against the Houthis in Yemen during two phone calls on Thursday, Axios reports. Trump declined, and U.S. officials stressed Washington has no intention of entering the Yemen conflict. The report adds that CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia for urgent coordination meetings, and up to 200 U.S. troops are deployed in the country.
A new report by Axios this morning reveals additional details on Thursday's calls between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Donald Trump. According to the report, MBS urged Trump to join his air campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, but Trump declined. The report adds that CENTCOM commander General Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia for "urgent coordination meetings," and that up to 200 U.S. troops are currently deployed in the kingdom. This comes hours after The Zioneer first reported at 07:11 Jerusalem that MBS had twice requested American strikes against the Houthis and was refused.
At 07:11 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported based on journalist Barak Ravid that MBS asked Trump to strike the Houthis and was denied. Simultaneous reports confirmed that Trump ruled out U.S. strikes during the conversations, and that MBS made two separate requests. The Axios report, published later this morning, expands on those calls, specifying that MBS asked Trump to join the Saudi campaign, and provides new context on U.S. military support — including the CENTCOM chief's visit and troop numbers.
The Zioneer previously reported on July 14 that MBS had received Trump's approval for a Saudi military campaign against the Houthis. However, as noted in earlier reporting, MBS had assured Washington in July that Saudi Arabia could handle the Houthis on its own. The Houthis have since launched a lightning offensive on the Red Sea coast and struck multiple Saudi refineries and pipelines, prompting Riyadh to seek greater U.S. involvement. The development also reflects a shift from earlier this August, when The Zioneer reported that MBS and Trump worked to de-escalate tensions over planned U.S. strikes on Iran.
It remains unclear whether the United States will expand non-combat support for the Saudi campaign, or whether General Cooper's visit signals a broader change in posture. The Trump administration has publicly reiterated its intention to stay out of the Yemen conflict.
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