Yemen Asks Trump for Military Support Against Houthi Rebels

Yemen's government has asked President Donald Trump for U.S. military support against the Houthis, a senior Yemeni official said Wednesday, as the Iran-backed rebels expand their hold on Yemen's Red Sea coast, according to NBC News.

Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi conveyed the request directly to Trump during a call this week, Abdullah Al-Alimi Bawazir, vice president of the Yemeni Leadership Council, told reporters on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, NBC News reported.

What Did Yemen's President Tell Trump?

Bawazir said al-Alimi raised the request for American assistance in the call, though he did not detail every element of the conversation. He said Trump understands the danger posed by the Houthis and that Yemen hopes for "more support for the Yemeni government in the face of the Houthi militias."

What Kind of U.S. Help Is Yemen Requesting?

Bawazir was explicit that Yemen is not asking American forces to fight on its behalf.

"We do not ask the American soldiers to actually go into war on our behalf. And we don't really request that they do nothing."

He said Yemen wants "mutual coordination on the intel and security fields" and asked that Washington help build up the Yemeni government's own military capacity. "The aerial campaigns are important," Bawazir said, "but supporting the Yemeni government and forces on the ground is indeed a guarantor to end the danger of those militias." He did not say whether that support should include direct U.S. strikes.

Why Are the Houthis' Red Sea Gains a Global Concern?

The Houthis have advanced along Yemen's Red Sea coastline in their latest campaign, according to NBC News, tightening control over territory that borders one of the world's most heavily trafficked shipping corridors. The coastline sits near routes used for global energy shipments, and further Houthi gains there raise the prospect of continued disruption to that traffic.

Did Trump Commit to Military Action?

Not according to a Reuters report cited by NBC News, which said one Yemeni and one Western source described the call as ending without a direct pledge of military support from Trump. Asked about that report, Bawazir said he was unaware the request had been rejected. The White House did not immediately respond to an overnight request for comment from NBC News.

How Long Has the Houthi Conflict Lasted?

Yemen has been in various states of conflict since 2014, when the Houthis drove the internationally recognized government out of the capital, Sanaa, touching off a regional proxy war. Saudi Arabia has backed the exiled government against the Iranian-backed rebels since then, and the current push along the Red Sea coast marks the latest phase of that fight.

No timeline has been set for a U.S. response, and Yemeni officials say they are still waiting to hear whether Washington will expand its role beyond existing intelligence-sharing arrangements.

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