Houthis seize Red Sea chokepoint, strike Saudi Arabia as US rules out direct intervention

Iran-backed Houthi rebels have seized a strategic Red Sea island and launched a series of strikes on Saudi Arabian soil, rapidly widening the conflict across the Middle East.

Yet the Trump administration has firmly ruled out direct US military involvement, drawing sharp frustration from Gulf allies and American diplomats, CNN reported.

Citing multiple sources, CNN said the Houthis recently captured a strategically vital island in the Red Sea and have been pressing forward with the goal of seizing full control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime shipping lane.

The rebels also fired missiles and launched drone strikes at key facilities in the Saudi capital Riyadh and at an Aramco oil refinery in the Yanbu region, pushing the crisis to a new peak. Saudi Arabia's Ministry of National Defense said its air defenses had intercepted the attacks, but black smoke rising near the capital signaled serious vulnerabilities in the country's homeland defense.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called Trump twice to urgently request that US forces join airstrikes against the Houthis, but the administration declined.

A US official reaffirmed a firm red line against any physical military strike, saying there would be "no preemptive offensive strikes." American military support has been limited to sharing intelligence and precision targeting data.

Trump, speaking to reporters, alarmed allies further by saying the Houthis had contacted the United States and told him they did not want to fight Americans. "The only country they have a grievance with is one country — Saudi Arabia — and we're going to get that straightened out," he said.

Barbara Leaf, former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, offered a sharp rebuke. "This is a shocking way to treat a partner — prioritizing a deal with a terrorist group that is attacking a key ally," she said.

Saudi and Yemeni government forces have been unable to halt the Houthi ground offensive despite US intelligence support. Saudi Arabia has run low on missile interceptors and has made emergency requests to France, Britain, Pakistan and Egypt for air defense assistance. The crisis has deepened as Saudi Arabia recently cut oil exports to Europe, adding to a global energy crunch.

Diplomats across the Middle East have criticized Washington's passive stance, saying it has emboldened the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' network of proxy forces and contributed to a deadlock in negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz.

Joey Hood, former US ambassador to Tunisia, said the Houthi advance in the Red Sea was making the IRGC bolder. "By failing to project even a minimal military deterrent, the United States has left its local allies feeling completely powerless," he said.