In recent days, unidentified parties pressed the Trump administration to launch direct US military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, according to security analyst Yair Goldblatt. Trump reportedly declined to commit American forces but authorized the dispatch of military advisors and tactical guidance to Saudi Arabia. Goldblatt assessed the refusal stemmed from a desire for European and Gulf states to bear consequences of the Bab el-Mandeb crisis rather than fear of a Houthi quagmire.
In a new analysis published Friday, security analyst Yair Goldblatt reported that in recent days, unidentified parties pressed the Trump administration to launch direct US military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. Trump reportedly declined to commit American forces but authorized the dispatch of military advisors and tactical guidance to Saudi Arabia. Goldblatt assessed the refusal stemmed from a desire for European and Gulf states to bear consequences of the Bab el-Mandeb crisis rather than fear of a Houthi quagmire.
The report is the latest in a series of dispatches on the US-Saudi-Houthi crisis published earlier Friday. At 07:11 Jerusalem, journalist Barak Ravid first reported that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice on Thursday requesting US strikes, and was refused. Axios followed, citing two US officials who confirmed the calls and added that CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper visited Saudi Arabia and up to 200 US troops are deployed. The Zioneer then reported that Trump told MBS the Saudi military can do the job, and that Saudi oil output has fallen to its lowest since 1990 with the kingdom blocked at both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. Goldblatt's analysis now offers a potential motivation behind Trump's refusal.
The Zioneer has reported extensively on the broader context. As published on July 31, Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing a sea and ground offensive against the Houthis in central Yemen to break the oil blockade. The US-Saudi relationship has been strained; The Zioneer reported on July 1 that Saudi Arabia initially refused the US use of its airspace for Operation Liberty, signaling unprecedented tensions. The Houthis declared a naval siege on Bab el-Mandeb in late July, initiating the current military confrontation.
Goldblatt's analysis is based on a single source and has not been independently confirmed. The precise number of advisors dispatched and their specific mission remain unspecified. The development of events in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb corridor remains a key regional concern.
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