Donald Trump pulled the plug on a US airstrike campaign against Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Sunday, despite commanders having already loaded bombs onto warplanes. According to The New York Times, the President told advisers the day before that he was opposed to the strikes, reversing a decision made after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pleaded for American backing. This abrupt U-turn left the Houthis, who have rapidly seized key areas along the Red Sea coast, unchallenged by direct US air power.
The hesitation stems from a complex diplomatic tightrope. Trump spoke with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi, who sought Washington’s support against the Iran-aligned group controlling the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Yet, Trump remained in “deciding mode,” weighing the risk of protecting a long-term ally against maintaining a fragile truce with Iran-backed forces. US officials had recently met Houthi representatives at the embassy in Muscat, where the rebels affirmed a 2025 ceasefire commitment, specifically promising to spare commercial ships except those flagged as Saudi.
The stakes are high for global trade. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait serves as a critical alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which remains volatile due to the ongoing conflict with Iran. A US military campaign in Houthi-dominated waters could disrupt this vital artery, potentially devastating global supply chains. For now, Saudi forces are bearing the brunt of the conflict, having launched hundreds of strikes on Houthi positions in the highlands over recent days.
The human cost is mounting. The United Nations reports nearly 700 people killed and thousands injured in the recent flare-up. Approximately 130,000 Yemenis have been displaced internally, while more than 3,000 have fled by boat across the Red Sea to Africa. As the Houthis maintain their blockade on Saudi shipping, the pressure on Riyadh to resolve the standoff without American air cover intensifies.
Diplomatic channels remain the only active front. Oman continues to mediate, having facilitated the recent talks in Muscat. The next critical test will be whether the Houthis honor their pledge to avoid targeting non-Saudi commercial vessels, a commitment that could determine if the crisis remains regional or spirals into a broader maritime conflict.