Trump holds off on Yemen strikes on Houthis even as bombs were being loaded onto warplanes - report
Trump's reversal reportedly came even as commanders had approved target lists and troops were loading bombs onto US warplanes selected for the mission
US President Donald Trump decided Sunday not to join Saudi Arabia, for now, in strikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, despite ordering the Pentagon to prepare for airstrikes just days earlier, says the New York Times, citing administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Trump's initial decision to strike came after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called, asking him to intervene.
Trump initially declined and offered only intelligence and targeting support until after US diplomats met Houthi officials in Oman and received assurances the group did not intend to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Most of Trump's inner circle was deeply skeptical of or opposed to joining the Saudi fight, given existing strains on the US military from the war with Iran, according to a senior administration official. When the Saudi counteroffensive continued to falter last week, Riyadh renewed its pleas, prompting Trump to hold weekend consultations with advisers. CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper presented strike options to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Saturday, but Trump ultimately held off.
Trump spoke Sunday with Yemeni President Rashid al-Alimi, who asked for US military help, though sources said Trump made no direct pledge of support. The UN says nearly 700 people have been killed and roughly 130,000 displaced within Yemen since the fighting intensified, with more than 3,000 fleeing by boat to Africa.
The Houthis' advance toward the Bab al-Mandeb threatens Saudi Arabia's main alternative oil export route around the unstable Strait of Hormuz.