A no, then yes, then a no again: Trump's U-turn on striking Houthis despite ready targets, loaded bombs

Targets locked. Warplanes ready. Bombs loaded. Then US President Donald Trump said - not yet. Trump reportedly pulled back from planned US strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen just as the military was preparing to launch the operation.

File photo: US President Donald Trump addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York City (REUTERS)US President Donald Trump has repeatedly changed course over whether to order military strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen following appeals from Saudi Arabia, with the administration deciding by Sunday to hold off on strikes, at least for now.

The issue has put Trump in a difficult position as he weighs Saudi Arabia's request for military support against the wider strains on the US military from its ongoing war with Iran, New York Times reported. Any US intervention against the Houthis could open another front in that conflict.

The president had resisted Saudi appeals for weeks as the Houthis, taking advantage of instability in the Middle East, reignited their conflict with Saudi Arabia this summer.

The issue came to a head on Thursday when Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto leader and a key US ally in the war against Iran, called Trump and again urged him to intervene against the advancing Houthis, administration officials said.

Trump had met advisers a day earlier and indicated that he did not favour strikes. After speaking with the Saudi crown prince, however, he reversed course and instructed the Pentagon to prepare for airstrikes.

By midday Sunday, he appeared to have reversed course again. Administration officials said there would be no US airstrikes against the Houthis, at least for the time being. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss military planning.

The White House press office declined to comment on Trump's deliberations. A senior administration official said only: "the US has a defense agreement with Saudi Arabia and we will always defend our allies," NYT reported.

Most members of Trump's inner circle were either deeply sceptical or opposed to joining the Saudi campaign against the Houthis, particularly given the pressure already facing the US military in the war with Iran, a senior administration official reportedly said.

Trump's decision to delay or pull back from the strikes came even as preparations were well advanced. Commanders had approved target lists, troops were loading bombs onto US warplanes selected for the missions and the attacks were close to beginning, according to two people briefed on the operation.

In a telephone interview with Fox News on Sunday morning, Trump told reporter Trey Yingst that he was in "deciding mode" over what to do in the broader war with Iran. On the Houthis, he said the United States remained in constant communication with the group and that the Houthis had so far agreed not to fight the United States, Mr Yingst reported.

The situation highlights the dilemma confronting Trump: while the Houthis have avoided attacking US ships, they have targeted Saudi Arabia, leaving Washington to weigh its relationship with Riyadh against the risks of expanding its military involvement.

Some US military officials have argued that Washington needs Saudi Arabia's cooperation in the war against Iran. Saudi officials, meanwhile, have demonstrated that they can exert leverage when the United States does not cooperate.

In May, Saudi Arabia effectively blocked a Trump administration plan to use the US military to escort commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz by denying the United States access to its airspace and US air bases in the country.

If Washington were to join the Saudi campaign, it could do so alongside a planned ground offensive by Yemeni government forces, officials said. Those forces, however, have struggled against the Houthis.

The Houthis have been fighting Yemen's internationally recognised government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia, since 2014. Fighting declined after a truce in 2022, but the conflict intensified again this summer as the Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi shipping in the Red Sea and attacked Saudi vessels.

The Houthis have also captured strategically important areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a major Red Sea chokepoint, raising concerns over further disruption to global energy markets already affected by the US-Israeli war against Iran.

Current and former US diplomats and military commanders with experience in the Middle East have questioned whether a limited bombing campaign would force the Houthis to negotiate or abandon their most hard-line demands. The group withstood nearly eight weeks of US bombardment last year.

The same officials also questioned the effectiveness of backing Yemeni forces that have recently retreated after coming into contact with the Houthis.

"The anti-Houthi coalition is really a Frankenstein of all the leftover parts in Yemen that aren't the Houthis," NYT quoted as saying Gregory Johnsen, a nonresident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, on the Yemeni ground force the air campaign would support. "The disparate Yemeni groups have vastly different and, in some cases, diametrically opposed goals for what they want in Yemen, so they spend more time fighting one another than they do the Houthis."

Nayanika is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi, with over six years of experience in the digital media industry. She specialises in delivering clear, insightful coverage across general, national, and international beats, with a strong focus on breaking news and in-depth explainers. Known for her ability to decode complex developments, she enjoys unpacking layered political and policy issues into accessible, reader-friendly narratives that inform without overwhelming. She has previously worked in India's leading newsrooms, including India Today, News18, and Outlook, where she chased news, covered major events of the past six years and led teams. With a Master's degree in Political Science, Nayanika has a keen interest in international relations and global affairs. Her academic grounding shapes her analytical approach to stories, enabling her to connect the dots between domestic events and broader geopolitical currents. She is particularly drawn to stories that require context, nuance, and clarity - turning complicated subjects into compelling reads. Outside the newsroom, Nayanika is a passionate gourmand who loves cooking and sharing meals with loved ones. When she's not writing or tracking the latest headlines, she can often be found exploring local markets for fresh ingredients, seeking inspiration for her next culinary experiment.Read More