US to provide intelligence assistance to Saudi Arabia to counter Houthis: Trump

The United States has announced that it will provide intelligence and targeting assistance to Saudi Arabia against the armed Houthi group in Yemen, US President Donald Trump said.

Saudi Arabia's tensions with the Iran-backed Houthi group have escalated over the past week. Houthi missile attacks have caused significant damage to Saudi energy facilities. On Thursday, Houthi fighters claimed control of the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, a new concern for Riyadh.

According to experts, Saudi Arabia has been exporting a large portion of its oil through the Bab al-Mandeb route since the Strait of Hormuz became virtually closed due to the US-Iran conflict. As a result, the Houthis' control of the strait poses a major challenge for Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman spoke by phone with President Trump on Thursday to ask for U.S. military assistance to counter the Houthis. Trump told him that the United States was not in a position to launch a direct military operation due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. Nevertheless, Washington would help Saudi Arabia by providing intelligence and identifying potential targets.

Meanwhile, a high-level delegation led by the head of US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, visited Riyadh to discuss the Houthi issue and potential security cooperation with Saudi military and government officials.

"Our main focus right now is on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. But we are also committed to ensuring the right of free passage of commercial shipping in the Red Sea," a senior Trump administration official told AFP.    

He also said, "We want stability to return to Saudi Arabia and Yemen as soon as possible."

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group began in 2014 during the Yemeni civil war. The following year, when the Houthis captured the capital Sanaa, then-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi sought refuge in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition then launched a military campaign on behalf of Hadi's government.

Currently, the Houthis control about half of Yemen's territory, while the rest is controlled by the Saudi-backed Presidential Council government, which is internationally recognized.

Although a ceasefire agreement was reached between the two sides in 2022, it did not last long. Relations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis have deteriorated again since the attack on Sanaa airport last July, and recent events have further exacerbated those tensions.