President Trump has given his approval for Saudi military action against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, according to U.S. officials familiar with recent high-level communications between Washington and Riyadh.
The backing came ahead of Monday's Saudi bombing of Sanaa airport, which escalated tensions dramatically and triggered immediate Houthi retaliation. The exchange marks the most serious military clash between the two sides since 2022 and threatens to unravel years of de facto restraint in the conflict.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman reached out to Trump by phone on Friday to request support for strikes against the Houthis, and the president agreed, according to a U.S. official. The fact that MBS sought explicit approval before acting signals Saudi Arabia's concerns about the potential for a broader regional conflict that could draw in the United States.
The buildup happened quickly. Last week, Saudi officials approached the U.S. government expressing worry about the Houthi situation and seeking backing for potential military operations. On Thursday, the Saudi ambassador to Washington met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The following day, Rubio spoke directly with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. Trump's call with the crown prince came shortly after.
When asked for comment, the White House pointed to Trump's remarks on Fox News Monday morning, in which he criticized Iran sharply. The Saudi embassy declined to respond to requests for statement.
The immediate catalyst for the escalation traces back roughly ten days, when Mahan Air, an Iranian airline, landed in Sanaa to pick up Houthi leaders heading to the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The flight was rare, marking the first direct air service from Iran to the Houthi-controlled city in more than a decade.
Saudi Arabia had long blocked such flights, fearing they could be used to smuggle weapons or Iranian military advisers to the Houthis. U.S. officials pointed out that Mahan Air operates as the airline of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and has been designated and sanctioned by the U.S. government.
The Houthis claimed Saudi fighter jets attempted to prevent the plane from landing initially but failed to do so. They then threatened to strike Saudi airports if flights resumed. When the Iranian delegation boarded the plane for its return journey on Monday, Saudi warplanes hit Sanaa airport, forcing the aircraft to divert and land in Al Hudaydah on the Red Sea coast.
A U.S. official asserted the plane was carrying weapons, missile components, and military personnel intended for the Houthis. In response, the Houthis fired ballistic missiles and drones at Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia and issued a warning that airlines should avoid Saudi airspace until the blockade on Sanaa is lifted.
Author James Rodriguez: "Trump's swift green-light for strikes exposes real worry in Riyadh about Iran's direct hand in arming the Houthis, but it also risks reigniting a war that had finally begun cooling."
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