Riyadh—Saudi Arabia has formally urged the United States to suspend ongoing military strikes targeting Iranian-backed Houthi fighters in Yemen ahead of a forthcoming visit to Riyadh by U.S. President Donald Trump, regional sources and diplomatic officials revealed. The request underscores persistent security concerns as well as the delicate geopolitical balancing required in the face of mounting threats from Iran’s network of terror proxies.
According to officials with knowledge of the discussions, representatives of the Saudi government conveyed to their counterparts in Washington that continued U.S. military action against the Houthis risked provoking a dramatic escalation during Trump’s high-profile visit, possibly resulting in retaliation and international embarrassment for both Riyadh and Washington. One source familiar with the security dialogue described the Kingdom’s concerns as urgent, emphasizing intelligence indicating that Houthi forces, emboldened and equipped by Tehran, were preparing potential sabotage or attacks timed to coincide with the American president’s presence in the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia’s concern is grounded in the context of the Houthis’ record of escalation. The group, officially known as Ansar Allah and armed and trained by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has demonstrated an ability and willingness to strike Saudi and American targets with drones and ballistic missiles. Recent months have seen an uptick in such attacks, with Houthi drones targeting the shipping lanes of the Red Sea and launching missile barrages against critical Saudi infrastructure. For the Kingdom, ensuring the security and prestige of a U.S. presidential visit is a strategic imperative—one inextricably linked to its broader efforts to present itself as a stable, reforming power and attract renewed American and international partnership.
From the American perspective, the strikes in Yemen—carried out in response to escalated aggression by the Houthis against international maritime traffic—are characterized as preemptive self-defense, aimed at degrading Houthi capabilities and deterring further attacks on civilian and military targets. The Biden administration—continuing policies that originated under past U.S. leadership—has not only authorized targeted operations but has expanded intelligence cooperation with regional allies, including Israel and Saudi Arabia, as Tehran’s proxies seek to exploit every diplomatic and military gap for propaganda and leverage.
The Saudi request, however, has forced American strategists to reevaluate the risk calculus. As the planned visit of President Trump draws near, the White House and the Pentagon are confronting the reality that even justified military pressure may inadvertently serve as a pretext for high-visibility terror acts by the Houthis. Such attacks, embassy officials warned, could embarrass both countries and demonstrate the operational resilience of Iran’s so-called ‘Axis of Resistance,’ a network that includes not only the Houthis but also Hezbollah in Lebanon, armed factions in Syria and Iraq, and, crucially, Hamas militants in Gaza—responsible for the October 7, 2023 massacre, the deadliest antisemitic atrocity since the Holocaust.
Diplomatic sources described ongoing consultations between Riyadh and Washington as “intensive,” with U.S. officials seeking to balance their operational commitments against immediate security demands during Trump’s stay in the Kingdom. Intelligence officials have acknowledged intercepted communications suggesting the Houthis have actively planned attacks coinciding with international summits or state visits, relying on Iranian-supplied technology and regional logistics support.
This episode reflects the increasingly intertwined nature of Middle East security. While Israel continues to confront Iranian-backed terrorism on multiple borders—including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon—the campaign against the Houthis is a broader fight to uphold the freedom of navigation, the security of Gulf partners, and the fundamental principle of state sovereignty. American air power and naval deployments have proven essential in containing the adversaries empowered by Tehran, but regional partners, particularly Saudi Arabia, remain wary of the unpredictable response patterns exhibited by groups adept at hybrid warfare.
Additionally, the Kingdom has invested in an image of national modernization and economic transformation under the Vision 2030 plan championed by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The optics of a successful high-level American visit, unmarred by violence or disruption, are crucial to maintaining both internal legitimacy and foreign investor confidence.
For Washington, a temporary reduction in military operations may enhance relations with a pivotal Middle East ally while minimizing immediate security risks. Nonetheless, U.S. officials are cognizant of the danger that pauses in pressure can grant Iranian-backed groups time to regroup, rearm, and prepare for future aggression. Israeli authorities, supported by a robust intelligence network, have repeatedly cautioned that restraint without parallel countermeasures only emboldens adversaries.
The focus on Yemen in the context of Trump’s visit is, therefore, emblematic of the broader war imposed by Iran and its proxies across the region. The Axis of Resistance, directed and resourced from Tehran, seeks opportunities to undermine Western-aligned governments and present themselves as victorious against superior military powers.
As talks between the United States and Saudi Arabia continue, both nations confront the enduring challenge of countering Iranian-backed terrorism while pursuing the diplomatic and economic stability vital to their strategic interests. The outcome of these discussions—and the ability of Washington and Riyadh to present a united, secure front during a moment of international attention—will be closely watched both by allies seeking reassurance and adversaries searching for vulnerabilities.
In sum, Saudi Arabia’s appeal to the United States ahead of President Trump’s visit to Riyadh captures the reality of a region where security, politics, and the fight against terrorism are inseparable. It is a reminder that the struggle to uphold sovereignty and stability against a determined, asymmetric enemy remains as complex and urgent as ever.
