Trump reportedly made no direct pledge of military assistance during the call (Photo: AP).
Despite Yemen’s plea for US military support, president Donald Trump stopped short of committing American forces to counter the Houthis during a call with Yemeni president Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday.
President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday (September 20, 2026), four people familiar with the matter said, discussing the advances of the Iran-backed Houthis around a vital global waterway. However, the newspaper reported that Trump called off the strikes at the last minute. Saudi forces have launched hundreds of strikes in recent days on Houthi positions in the highlands, according to Reuters.
Trump made no direct pledge of military assistance during the call, according to sources cited by Reuters. Two people briefed on the operation said Trump pulled back from, or at least delayed, striking Houthi targets even as commanders had approved target lists and troops were loading bombs onto US warplanes chosen for the missions, with the wave of attacks about to begin. On Sunday, Trump said he remained in “deciding mode” over the Middle East situation, this includes whether to protect its long term regional ally, or maintain truce with the Iran-backed group. Earlier reporting noted: Two of the sources, one Yemeni and one Western, said Mr.
Alimi had sought Washington’s backing for his Saudi-backed government after the Iran-aligned Houthis rapidly seized key areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, particularly around the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Alimi requested U.S. support for his Saudi-backed government in its fight against the Houthis, who this month took key areas along the Bab al-Mandeb strait in a lightning offensive. Trump had made no direct pledge of military support during the call.
Earlier reporting noted: Trump, in call with Yemen President, did not pledge military support against Houthis, say sources U.S. Earlier reporting noted: Mr. Trump administration had prepared to launch airstrikes against the Houthis on Sunday, following fresh pleas from the Saudi crown prince, according to The New York Times.