NEW DELHI: Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, phoned US President Donald Trump on September 10 and asked for US military help fighting the Houthis. He was told Washington would not intervene directly for now but would help with intelligence.
Trump confirmed on September 12 that he had spoken to the crown prince, and said the Houthis had also phoned his administration and asked for Washington not to become directly involved in the conflict.
A senior Trump administration official said the US is focused on 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”.
