As the war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen escalates, the Trump administration is resisting requests to enter the fighting directly, even as Washington provides military assistance to the Saudis. But mounting Houthi attacks, doubts about the Saudi strategy and the conflict’s ties to the Iran war are driving questions from officials and experts about how long the U.S. can keep its distance.
The Trump administration is already providing the Saudis with intelligence and aerial refueling, a U.S. official told The Washington Sun, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. The official said American involvement includes “advising the Saudis to remove questionable targets from their strike lists” because of concerns about civilian casualties.
More than 100 American military personnel are advising Saudi Arabia on its bombing runs in Yemen. President Donald Trump also wants to sell the Saudis thousands of American-made precision-guided bombs and 48 F-35 fighter jets — plans opposed by congressional Democrats. With weapons and training from Iran, the Houthis have struck Saudi airports and oil infrastructure that is crucial to global energy flows, which are already strained by the Iran war.
Trump has reportedly dodged requests from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for direct military support. People familiar with administration thinking told The Sun the White House is resistant to deeper entanglement for now.
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“We can avoid it for the time being,” said one person familiar with Trump administration officials’ thinking who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations. The person emphasized Trump’s dissatisfaction with Operation Rough Rider, the 2025 American campaign against the Houthis that failed to significantly weaken the group despite its $1 billion price tag.
Some U.S. officials doubt the Saudi approach, noting that the country pushed the United Arab Emirates — another U.S. partner in the region — out of Yemen earlier this year. The UAE was, like the Saudis, supporting anti-Houthi fighters on the ground.
“I have discerned no appetite whatsoever to expand [U.S. involvement] to bail out the Saudis,” the person familiar said.
Annelle Sheline, a researcher at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told The Sun she was unsurprised by U.S. frustration with Saudi choices. Still, Sheline said that the Saudis viewed UAE-linked Yemeni separatists as an emerging security concern in a similar way to the Houthis.
The conflict’s recent escalation may have presented an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to rally more international support as it takes on the Houthis because of global concern about the Yemeni group’s role in helping Iran disrupt oil and gas shipments. France is shielding Saudi energy infrastructure, and Britain is also refueling Saudi jets, while Pakistan and Turkey have deployed troops to Saudi Arabia.
Trump may prove unwilling to join the coalition until after America’s midterm elections, as the unpopular Iran war continues to be a problem politically for Republicans.
“My expectation would be that at some point, maybe he does announce post-midterms he’s fine with doing a couple of very specific, very targeted bombing campaigns alongside the Saudis,” said Elizabeth Dent, a former Pentagon official who worked on Gulf security during the Biden administration. “The inclination is to be as supportive as possible without taking the lead.”
The Saudis’ contributions to Trump’s family businesses, including a $2 billion investment in a fund run by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, could also bolster their expectation that they are owed U.S. support.
“I imagine all MBS has to do is say, ‘Trump, I personally enriched you!’” Sheline said.
The person close to the administration told The Sun they expect the Saudis to keep emphasizing their ties to Trump as they seek help, but they’ve had “no luck thus far.”
A resumed U.S. offensive against Iran could also push the administration to target the Houthis, if the Yemeni group launches further strikes in solidarity with Tehran. The Pentagon has already prepared fresh Iran war plans, according to The New York Times, and American military forces remain concentrated in the region.
Still, some are urging caution about the prospect of another U.S. campaign in Yemen, after attacks under presidents Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bush failed to stem security threats out of the country and drove humanitarian crises.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Connecticut), who visited Riyadh this week, told reporters he believes the Saudis want to push the Houthis out of more Yemeni territory but would eventually settle on a truce with the group. Meanwhile, the senator argued the U.S. is already embroiled in the fighting, pointing to the military advisers and refueling operations.
“To me, that’s war,” Murphy said. He added Congress may try to stop Trump from continuing American involvement.
Sen. Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) is already leading an effort to block 10,000 additional American bombs for Saudi Arabia. In an Oct. 5 letter to senators, more than 30 antiwar and human rights groups pushed senators to support Markey’s resolution, arguing that it is consistent for legislators who have voted to restrict Trump’s Iran war to oppose moves that could deepen the conflict in Yemen.
Observers note the potential heavy toll of the fighting and a feedback loop of violence if a deal is the endgame.
A regional diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the thinking among officials, told The Sun that Saudi anxiety about the Houthis is “understandable” but added: “Military pressure tends to harden positions rather than bring parties to the table.”
Oman, another U.S. regional partner, has maintained channels to Riyadh and the Houthis. The diplomat said the country is expected to soon begin mediation between the two.
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