USA Denied Saudi Arabia Assistance in Containing the Houthis

The United States refused to provide Saudi Arabia with air cover to contain the Yemeni rebel movement Ansar Allah (Houthis), citing its focus on Iran.

This was reported by the Financial Times (FT), citing a diplomat.

According to the publication, last week, as the Houthis advanced along the Red Sea coast in Yemen, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud called U.S. President Donald Trump to request support. However, according to the diplomat, Riyadh was refused. Washington stated that it was not ready to intervene at this time, as it was focused on the conflict with Iran.

As the newspaper writes, Saudi Arabia found itself in a situation where a Houthi offensive is underway in the south, while in the north there is the threat of attacks from Shiite militias in Iraq. Riyadh had earlier announced the closure of the East-West oil pipeline, which was used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, following a series of drone attacks. Against this backdrop, oil production in Saudi Arabia fell to 6.2 million barrels per day in August, the lowest level in 36 years. Analysts expect refinery output to be cut in the near future.

As the publication notes, the current situation has become the biggest test for the Crown Prince since 2018. He had previously tried to extricate the kingdom from the conflict in Yemen, but in July the Houthis declared a blockade of Saudi ports. Riyadh views their demands as extortion and is wavering between escalation and a new ceasefire.