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Riyadh Seeks US Support as Houthis Advance
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought US military assistance from President Donald Trump to counter Yemen’s Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday, as the group advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast towards the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Trump held at least two telephone conversations with the Saudi leader on Thursday. Washington ultimately told Riyadh it was not prepared to take direct military action against the Houthis for now, but would assist with intelligence sharing and targeting . US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for talks.
Houthis Capture Strategic Positions
The Saudi appeal came as Houthi forces reached the strategic island of Perim in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, four Yemeni government sources told Reuters. Government forces had withdrawn from Perim, and the Houthis also captured the mainland Red Sea coastal town of Dhubab .
The Houthis captured Mocha on Thursday along with the Red Sea islands of Hanish, according to Yemeni government sources. Reuters reported that the Houthi advance was aided by direct guidance from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps .
Threat to Global Shipping
Bab el-Mandeb lies at the southern entrance to the Red Sea and is on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula from the Strait of Hormuz. Control or disruption of the waterway could give Iran and its Houthi allies leverage over another major international shipping route at a time when traffic through Hormuz has already been severely disrupted.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has increasingly relied on the Red Sea route after the conflict effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters showed smoke on Thursday near the route of the Saudi East-West oil pipeline, a potentially significant development for the kingdom’s oil exports.
Oil Prices Surge
The International Energy Agency said on Friday that Saudi crude supply fell by 2.3 million barrels per day in August to 6 million bpd, its lowest level in more than three decades . Global oil prices were on track to finish the week above $100 a barrel for the first time since mid-May.
Houthi Statement and Saudi Shift
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said maritime navigation remained safe for all shipping except Saudi vessels covered by an earlier Houthi ban. “We will continue to enforce blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation until the aggression stops and the blockade on our people is lifted,” he said .
The Saudi request for US military assistance represents a significant change from its position earlier in the conflict. In July, Riyadh told Washington it was capable of dealing with the Houthis itself. The situation has since deteriorated as the broader US-Iran conflict enters its seventh month.
With both Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb under growing threat, disruption to the two waterways could put further pressure on global energy supplies, shipping, and oil prices.
