Pentagon officials had already cleared target lists and loaded warplanes when President Trump decided to cancel the mission. The decision came after a late‑week call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who urged Washington to help stem the Houthi advance.
The Houthis have seized large swaths of Yemen’s coast, threatening shipping lanes in the Red Sea that are vital for global oil traffic. Saudi Arabia, fighting the group in a proxy war with Iran, has repeatedly asked the United States for military support.
In a Fox News interview on September 12, Trump told hosts that the Houthis had agreed not to attack U.S. forces and that Washington was in "constant communication" with them. He also hinted that the U.S. would not intervene unless the Houthis threatened American personnel.
The Pentagon has postponed the planned airstrikes and will now review its strategy for the Red Sea region. Riyadh is looking for other allies as Saudi forces face mounting pressure from Houthi missile attacks. A mother in Hodeidah says her home was looted during the Houthi takeover, highlighting the human cost of the stalled conflict.