U.S. President Donald Trump weighed a strike against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen following a request from Saudi Arabia, but ultimately decided to hold off for the time being, according to reports by U.S. internet outlet Axios and The New York Times (NYT) on the 21st (local time).

According to the reports, President Trump has recently grappled with whether to accept Saudi Arabia's request and order U.S. military strikes against the Houthis.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom's de facto ruler, placed two phone calls to President Trump on the 10th, requesting urgent military support against the Houthis.

At the time, President Trump declined the request, deciding instead to provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data.

He was reluctant to entangle himself in a new front while the war with Iran was not yet fully concluded and U.S. military forces remained deployed around the Strait of Hormuz.

The situation changed on the 17th when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump again, earnestly requesting intervention to break the momentum of the Houthis, who have been intensifying their offensive against Saudi Arabia.

Following this, President Trump consulted with his top aides over the weekend regarding the possibility of striking the Houthis.

In particular, General Brad Cooper, head of the U.S. Central Command overseeing military operations in the Middle East, drew up scenarios for airstrikes in Yemen and reported them to Secretary of Defense (Department of War) Pete Hegseth on the 19th.

Through this process, President Trump reportedly shifted his stance and ordered preparations for airstrikes against the Houthis.

However, around noon on the 20th, President Trump reversed course and decided not to attack the Houthis for the time being.

The NYT reported that this decision came just as military commanders had approved the target list for the Houthi strikes, and combat aircraft mobilized for the operation were already loaded with bombs, with the strikes on the verge of commencing.

A senior U.S. official told the NYT that the vast majority of President Trump's aides harbored deep skepticism or openly opposed intervening in the war between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, taking into account the strain the U.S. military is already facing due to the war with Iran.

The NYT pointed out that these repeated reversals reflect "the predicament currently facing President Trump," noting that "this poses a dilemma for President Trump."

The Houthis seized the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014 and have been waging a war against a Saudi-led coalition for over a decade.

After a truce was struck in 2022, hostilities remained in a lull for several years. However, following an airstrike on the Sanaa airport last July, the Houthis declared an end to the ceasefire and announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, reigniting fierce armed clashes.

In particular, the Houthis have seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—Saudi Arabia's crude oil export route and the entrance to the Red Sea—while expanding their momentum by striking deep into Saudi mainland targets, including the capital Riyadh, following attacks on the holy city of Mecca and the second-largest city of Jeddah.

Nevertheless, mindful of the experience of failing to oust Houthi strongholds despite months of bombing last year, and with cumulative military and financial burdens from the war with Iran, the United States is avoiding direct conflict with the Houthis, leaving Saudi Arabia facing a maximum crisis.