U.S. President Donald Trump has declined Saudi Arabia's urgent requests for joint military strikes against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. Despite initially ordering the Pentagon to prepare for airstrikes following a direct phone call from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on September 17, 2026, Trump reversed his decision by September 20, 2026. The decision highlights the dilemma of avoiding a wider war with Iran that threatens global economic stability while supporting a key Middle East ally.
Trump decision on Yemen strikes
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump told advisers on September 16, 2026, that he opposed airstrikes against the Houthis, but reversed himself on September 17, 2026, ordering the Pentagon to prepare airstrikes against Houthis
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump decided by midday on September 20, 2026, that the United States would not conduct airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for the time being.
Saudi-Houthi conflict escalation
- ▪The Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen took advantage of Middle East instability to reignite its military conflict with Saudi Arabia during the summer of 2026.
- ▪Saudi Arabia repeatedly appealed to the United States for military assistance to help blunt the rapid advancement of Houthi forces in Yemen.
U.S.-Iran war expansion risks
- ▪A U.S. decision to strike Houthi targets in Yemen risks opening another front in a war against Iran that Trump started, which has spread economic shocks globally
- ▪The ongoing conflict involving Iran has spread economic shocks around the globe as the United States has been unable to end the spreading instability.
Trump-MBS diplomatic pressure
- ▪Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called U.S. President Donald Trump on September 17, 2026, to implore him to intervene militarily against advancing Houthi forces.
- ▪U.S. President Donald Trump met with Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington on November 18, 2025, prior to the escalation of the conflict.
Debatable claims
- ▪Trump's hesitation to strike the Houthis weakens U.S. credibility
- ▪The United States should launch airstrikes against Houthi forces in Yemen
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