US President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David and returned to the White House as the Houthis escalated their war with Saudi Arabia to Riyadh itself, reviving questions about a direct US intervention in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at Riyadh early on Saturday and reported attempted strikes on other cities. The Houthis claimed ballistic missile and drone attacks on “sensitive” sites in Riyadh and an Aramco installation in Yanbu. Video showed smoke near Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport. Saudi authorities reported no casualties.
The US State Department warned that the conflict could “escalate rapidly”, and American missions across the region told citizens to prepare for possible disruptions.
Security analyst Alex Plitsas said the Camp David meeting was meant to “deliberate and review Yemen strike options” – unconfirmed by the White House – but Mr Trump's abrupt return and the latest alerts have fuelled speculation.
Yemen researcher Fatima Alasrar called the move “a significant shift in messaging” after Mr Trump had reportedly refused to support the Saudis.
Washington has kept an unusual channel open with the Houthis. Reuters reported US officials met Houthi representatives in Muscat for Omani-mediated talks.
Sources said the Houthis had told the US they would not fire at American, Israeli or other commercial ships and remained committed to the ceasefire signed with the US last May. However, the group excluded Saudi vessels from that pledge. The State Department has not confirmed the meeting.
The truce signed last year ended a two-month US bombing campaign but did not resolve the broader Yemen conflict. Mr Trump has said the Houthis asked his administration to stay out, and Vice President JD Vance said Washington remained in direct contact with the Iran-backed rebels.
With US and allied shipping largely spared, Washington has had less incentive to intervene on Riyadh's behalf.
The stakes have shifted
Over the past 10 days, however, the Houthis have seized the Red Sea port of Mokha, advanced along Yemen's western coast and taken control of islands near the Bab Al Mandeb strait. Saudi Arabia has responded with air strikes and sought more military and intelligence help.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has pressed Mr Trump for direct US action, but Washington has so far declined, according to US officials quoted by Axios and CBS, offering intelligence and support instead.
Last month, Saudi Arabia signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Turkey and Pakistan, a mutual defence pact reflecting the kingdom's efforts to diversify security guarantees amid strain with Washington.
The US could strike Houthi missile, drone and command infrastructure, but this could also collapse the truce and open a new front while American forces are already engaged against Iran.
That risk looms larger given Mr Trump's own comments on Thursday that he was close to a decision on whether to resume major strikes on Iran. “I have a big decision coming up. Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not? … Anything could happen with me,” he told Axios.
Any US move against the Houthis could give Tehran further reason to widen attacks through allied militias – possibly its most effective remaining leverage while under pressure. A strike on the Houthis could thus carry consequences well beyond Yemen.
For now, the evidence points to military options being actively weighed up, not a confirmed decision to strike. The open question is whether the Houthis' territorial gains, the strikes on Saudi soil and the threat to the Bab Al Mandeb strait push Mr Trump towards action – or whether the risk of wider Iranian retaliation will hold him back.
