Bin Salman called three times before Trump ordered strike preparations; targets approved, jets armed before abort

Aides cited strain of Iran war in opposing move; months of failed bombing last year also weighed on decision

Houthis seize Bab el-Mandeb, strike deep into Saudi Arabia, cornering Riyadh

US President Donald Trump addresses the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025 (local time). [UPI]
US President Donald Trump addresses the UN General Assembly on Sept. 23, 2025 (local time). [UPI]

US President Donald Trump ordered preparations for airstrikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen at Saudi Arabia's request, only to call off the operation at the last minute, according to reports. Military commanders had already approved the targets and loaded bombs onto fighter jets before Trump pulled back — ultimately deterred by the strain of fighting a war against Iran on another front.

The New York Times and Axios reported Monday (local time) that Trump had been weighing whether to launch direct US military strikes against the Houthis after repeated appeals from Riyadh in recent weeks.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice on Sept. 10, urging him to provide emergency military support against the Houthis.

Trump declined at the time, saying the United States would share intelligence and targeting data with Saudi Arabia but would not conduct direct strikes.

The reluctance stemmed largely from the cost of opening yet another Middle East front while already at war with Iran. US forces still maintain a substantial military presence around the Strait of Hormuz.

A week later, the calculus shifted. Bin Salman called Trump again Thursday, arguing that direct US intervention was needed to blunt the Houthis' intensifying offensive against Saudi Arabia.

Trump began to change his position. Over the weekend, he held intensive discussions with senior advisers on options for striking the Houthis.

Gen. Brad Cooper, the head of US Central Command overseeing military operations in the Middle East, developed strike scenarios for Yemen and briefed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the specific operational plan Saturday.

Trump then ordered preparations for airstrikes against the Houthis to proceed.

The operation advanced to the final stage before execution. According to The New York Times, US military commanders approved the Houthi targets and bombs were loaded onto the jets assigned to the mission.

But around noon Sunday, just as the strikes were about to begin, Trump reversed course again, deciding to hold off on attacking the Houthis for now and halting the operation.

Within the span of just a few days, the decision had flipped twice — from refusal, to preparation, to abort.

Trump's final call was heavily influenced by the cumulative burden the Iran war has placed on US forces, according to reports.

A senior US government official told The New York Times that most of Trump's inner circle expressed deep skepticism or outright opposition to intervening in the Saudi-Houthi conflict, citing the significant strain already imposed on the US military by the war with Iran.

The experience of a failed military campaign against the Houthis earlier last year also weighed on the decision. The United States bombed Houthi strongholds for several months but failed to dislodge the group.

The New York Times said Trump's repeated reversals reflect the bind the United States currently finds itself in, describing the Houthi problem as a "dilemma" for the president.

The Houthis seized the Yemeni capital Sanaa in 2014 and have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition for more than a decade. Large-scale hostilities had subsided following a 2022 truce, but after Sanaa's airport was struck in an airstrike last July, the group declared the truce over and launched a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

The Houthis have since expanded their offensive. After seizing the Bab el-Mandeb strait — a critical chokepoint for Saudi oil exports and the gateway to the Red Sea — they have struck deep into Saudi territory, hitting the Islamic holy city of Mecca, the country's second city Jeddah, and the capital Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia desperately needs US military support, but Trump faces no easy options. Striking the Houthis would extend the front from Iran to Yemen, while holding back would leave a key ally to face the Houthi onslaught alone.

With no exit from the Iran war in sight, the United States now confronts the question of whether to open yet another front in the Middle East — a dilemma with no clear answer.


sjy@heraldcorp.com