Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) called President Trump twice Thursday, urging him to launch strikes against the Houthis as the Iran-backed group closed in on a vital Red Sea chokepoint, two U.S. officials told Axios.

  • Trump declined, and U.S. officials stressed the administration has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis for now.

Why it matters: Oil prices surged Thursday as the Houthis seized a strategic coastal city in Yemen, pushing them closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a vital artery for global trade and Saudi oil exports.

  • With Iran already disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi control of Bab al-Mandab could give Tehran a powerful new point of leverage over the U.S. and its Gulf allies.

Driving the news: The U.S. is concerned about the rapidly escalating fight in Yemen and is stepping up support for Saudi Arabia while trying to avoid direct military involvement.

  • Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, two sources with knowledge of the matter said.
  • The Saudi embassy in Washington and the White House declined to comment.

Catch up quick: The Saudi-Houthi confrontation reignited in July after Riyadh prevented an Iranian plane carrying senior Houthi officials home from the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from landing in Sanaa.

  • MBS asked Trump for political backing to strike the Sanaa airport, but made clear Saudi Arabia did not need U.S. military assistance. Trump gave him his support.
  • The Houthis retaliated by attacking Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a crucial route for the kingdom's oil exports, and later expanded their attacks to Saudi energy facilities.
  • Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies responded with airstrikes and ground offensives against Houthi positions.

Behind the scenes: Saudi Arabia's request for direct U.S. military action marks a sharp reversal from July, when Riyadh told Washington it could handle the Houthis on its own.

  • As the fighting intensified, however, the Saudis began seeking increasing levels of U.S. support.
  • U.S. military and civilian officials have told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump's directive is to keep American forces focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz — and avoid opening another front, sources familiar with the discussions said.

On Thursday, as Houthi forces advanced on the coastal city of Mokha and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retreated, MBS called Trump to brief him on the deteriorating situation, U.S. officials said.

  • Several hours later, MBS called again and urged Trump to order U.S. strikes against the Houthis.
  • Trump declined, but a U.S. official said the administration will provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence on the Houthis and targeting data.
  • Roughly 200 U.S. military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia providing non-kinetic support, the official said.

What they're saying: A senior Trump administration official signaled that Washington's priority is keeping the Red Sea open while leaving the broader fight to its regional partners.

  • "The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges," the official said.
  • "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen Government regarding regional stability."