President Trump confirmed Saturday that he had spoken to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and said the Houthis had also phoned his administration asking Washington not to become directly involved, according to Reuters. That dual confirmation updates prior reporting that the crown prince sought U.S. military help and that Washington has declined direct action for now while offering intelligence support.
Reuters said taking on the Houthis would effectively end a deal Trump struck last year to stop bombing the group in exchange for a halt to Red Sea shipping strikes. Analysts warn of a munitions squeeze; a senior administration official said the U.S. military has more than enough munitions, ammo, and stockpiles for strategic goals and beyond.
If the Houthis close the Bab el-Mandeb, Reuters said that would constrain another 7% of global petroleum supplies and about 12% of global trade. That is a conditional if-closed scenario; the strait is not claimed closed.
Sources: Reuters / Pamuk, Lewis, Spetalnick (Sat confirmation of MBS call and Houthi phone; last-year deal break risk; munitions vs admin denial; 7%/12% if Bab closed); Al-Monitor (same Reuters analysis reprint); Al Arabiya / Saba (optional Mocha government-claimed strikes color).
