Middle East — 2026-07-14

Trump Backed Saudi Crown Prince for Strikes on Houthis in Advance as Yemen Escalation Deepens

BLUFTrump's advance endorsement of the Sanaa airport strike binds Washington to an escalation cycle in which Houthi retaliatory strikes against Saudi territory are likely within seven days.

Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa International Airport on Monday to block the return of an Iranian Mahan Air flight carrying a Houthi delegation from Ayatollah Khamenei's funeral. Axios reported, citing US officials, that President Trump had given Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman his backing for the operation in advance 1. The officials said Riyadh raised concerns with Washington last week, the Saudi ambassador met Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, Rubio spoke with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan the next day, and Trump then spoke by phone with MBS on Friday and agreed to back the strike 1. US officials described the flight as carrying weapons, missile parts and military personnel for the Houthis and identified Mahan Air as an IRGC-linked, US-sanctioned carrier 1. The diverted plane landed instead at Al Hudaydah, and the Houthis responded with ballistic missile and drone strikes on Saudi Arabia's Abha airport and a warning to airlines to avoid Saudi airspace until the Sanaa blockade is lifted 12. Antiwar.com and The Tribune both republished the Axios account without independent sourcing of their own 23.

Analysis
Houthi forces will likely conduct at least one additional missile or drone strike against Saudi territory within the next 7 days, as Saree's airspace warning and the group's pre-2022 strike record point toward continued escalation rather than absorption of the Sanaa blockade. Trump's advance endorsement of the Saudi operation ties Washington to Riyadh's campaign before any Houthi retaliation occurred, raising the odds of deeper US military and diplomatic involvement if the exchange continues. Moderate confidence reflects a single official account of the Trump-MBS call, uncorroborated by any public statement from either government.

3 sources