Two US officials say Washington focused on Red Sea security; Riyadh weighs solo military action against Yemeni group
US President Donald Trump welcomes Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman during an arrival ceremony on South Lawn of White House in Washington, DC, US. Photo: Reuters
The Trump administration has no plans for direct military action against Houthi forces in Yemen, though it is providing Saudi Arabia with substantial intelligence and targeting support, two US officials told ABC News on Friday.
The anonymous officials said that assessment could shift if threats to Red Sea shipping routes intensify, they noted.
Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US military’s Central Command, visited Saudi Arabia for talks Thursday as part of Washington’s support for Riyadh, said one official.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held two calls on Thursday with President Donald Trump, with the prince pressing for direct US military involvement, though he stopped short of calling it essential, according to the official.
Read: Saudi Arabia’s key oil pipeline hit by projectiles, sparking fires: CNN
“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,” said a senior administration official.
A second official said Riyadh has signalled a willingness to launch a major offensive against the Houthis alone if necessary, though no decision has been made.
Officials added that Houthi forces reportedly seized Yemen’s west coast early Friday, but government troops and allied militias continued resisting, leaving the outcome uncertain absent outside intervention.
Yemen has seen renewed military escalation between government forces and the Houthis since early July, after years of relative calm following a truce that began in 2022.
The Houthis have controlled the capital Sanaa and large areas of northern and western Yemen since September 2014, while the government and allied forces control areas in the south and east.
Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a coalition supporting Yemen’s government against the Houthis, who are accused of receiving support from Iran.
US links Chinese satellite imagery to Iranian strike that killed 3 soldiers
US officials have tied high-resolution satellite images supplied by Chinese entities to an Iranian missile strike that killed three American soldiers in Jordan in July, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Citing officials familiar with the matter, the Journal said Tehran obtained the imagery before and after the July 17 attack on the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, where ballistic missiles hit a housing area, killing three American troops and wounding four others.
Read more: Yemen’s Houthis reach strategic island at mouth of vital shipping lane
Washington has not accused Beijing of direct involvement, and the identities of the Chinese suppliers were not disclosed, according to the report. It said senior US officials raised the matter with their Chinese counterparts, who denied the allegations and demanded evidence. The Chinese Foreign Ministry accused unnamed parties of trying to link it to the conflict.
The finding comes weeks before President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are due to meet on September 24. The Journal said the administration has sought to avoid public friction with Beijing that could jeopardise the summit.
The report also said Washington sanctioned three Chinese firms in May for imagery sales to Iran, and that US officials are now also worried Chinese data may be helping Tehran target American warships in the region.
Gulf bloc condemns drone attack on Saudi pipeline from Iraq
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) secretary-general on Friday condemned “in the strongest terms” a drone attack targeting Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline in the capital Riyadh and Madinah regions, which Riyadh said originated from Iraq and caused injuries and property damage.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said the attack represents “a dangerous escalation and an unacceptable threat to the security of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, its territorial integrity, and its vital installations,” describing it as “a flagrant violation of the principles of international law.”
He urged Iraq to intensify efforts and take “necessary, decisive measures” to prevent its territory from being used as a launchpad for such attacks.
Albudaiwi reaffirmed the council’s “complete and steadfast solidarity” with Saudi Arabia, voicing “full support for all measures and actions the Kingdom takes to protect its security, stability, territorial integrity, facilities, citizens, and residents.”
No retaliation ‘at this stage’ from Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia said earlier Friday that it had shut down the East-West Pipeline as a precautionary measure after several drones struck the oil pipeline in the Riyadh and Madinah regions on Thursday morning.
The Saudi Energy Ministry said several people were injured and received medical treatment, while the attacks also caused damage to the pipeline. Emergency and technical teams were deployed to secure the facility and assess its condition.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said the drones originated from Iraq. Riyadh said it had decided not to retaliate “at this stage” after Iraq’s prime minister asked Saudi Arabia to allow Baghdad to take measures to prevent further attacks launched from Iraqi territory.
Saudi Arabia said it supported Baghdad’s efforts but reserved the right to take all necessary measures to protect its sovereignty, security, and infrastructure.
Iraq condemned the attacks and said its territory and airspace “will not be a launching point for attacks against any country.”
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, also commander-in-chief of the nation’s armed forces, ordered an investigation into the attacks and directed authorities to take legal action against anyone found to have been involved.
Rising tensions
Tensions between Riyadh and Baghdad had already risen in July after Saudi Arabia said it intercepted several drones launched from Iraq toward oil facilities in the Eastern Province and Riyadh region. Riyadh blamed Iranian-backed militias and urged Baghdad to prevent Iraqi territory from being used for attacks against the kingdom.
Iraq subsequently formed a joint security committee aimed at preventing unauthorized attacks on neighboring countries.
The dispute escalated on July 29, when US and Saudi forces carried out strikes on sites belonging to the Iranian-aligned Popular Mobilization Forces in Iraq. The PMF said 20 members were killed and 32 others wounded.
Saudi Arabia said the operation was carried out in self-defense following attacks from Iraq on its petroleum facilities.
The East-West Pipeline provides Saudi Arabia with a strategic alternative for exporting crude through the Red Sea as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted by the US war against Iran.
Yemeni Air Force strikes Houthi targets in Mocha, Dhubab area
The Yemeni Air Force carried out airstrikes against Houthi targets in the Mocha and Dhubab area, the nation’s armed forces said on Friday.
On US social media platform X, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah al-Nuzaili, official spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said the strikes destroyed vehicles and weapons and killed Houthi militia members near the port of Mocha, as well as near the Zaid al-Kharj mall in the city of Mocha.
Militia members were also killed next to the water project administration in Mocha, and gatherings of vehicles and fighters were hit at an animal quarantine site on the Mocha-Dhubab road, 11 kilometres (7 miles) from the city of Mocha, he said.
Al-Nuzaili added that gatherings of militia members were eliminated at a former headquarters of a military leader on the northern ring road in Mocha.
Additional details were not immediately available.
Yemen had been under a relative lull since 2022 after nearly 12 years of war between government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who seized control of the capital Sanaa and large parts of the country in 2014.
Since late 2023, after the genocidal war in the Gaza Strip began, the Houthis have become increasingly involved in regional hostilities, launching attacks on Israel and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, while renewed fighting has raised fears of a return to full-scale conflict in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia ends ‘potential danger’ alert for southwestern city of Khamis Mushait
Saudi Arabia announced on Friday that a “potential danger” alert issued for the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait has ended.
Saudi Arabia’s Civil Defence said on US social media platform X that residents should continue to follow instructions for their safety, urging them to strictly avoid gathering in crowds or filming incident sites, even though the alert has ended.
An alert had urged residents of Khamis Mushait to follow official instructions, move to a safe location, stay away from windows, and remain indoors until the danger passed.
Also read: Any Houthi gains temporary, will not become ‘geographic reality’: Yemen’s National Defence Council
The National Early Warning Platform on Thursday had issued “potential danger” alerts for the southern cities of Abha and Khamis Mushait
The latest alert came amid rapidly escalating fighting in neighbouring Yemen, where the Houthis have announced taking control of strategic areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, including the districts of Hays and Al-Khawkhah in the western Al-Hudaydah province.
Fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis has also intensified on several fronts, particularly in the Taiz, Al-Jawf, and Al-Bayda provinces, amid airstrikes targeting Houthi positions.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa and several provinces in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
