Trump Pulls Back From Airstrikes on Houthis at Last Minute After Bombs Loaded and Targets Approved, Following Call With Saudi Crown Prince as Most Inner Circle Opposes Yemen Involvement

President Donald Trump pulled back on September 20, 2026 from launching airstrikes against Yemen's Houthis just as the operation was about to begin, with commanders having approved target lists and troops loading bombs onto US warplanes, according to the New York Times citing administration officials and people briefed on the operation. Trump had instructed the Pentagon to prepare for possible military action following a call on September 17 with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the growing Houthi threat, after telling advisers a day earlier that he did not favor US strikes. By midday Sunday, Trump appeared to have reversed his decision again, and for now there would be no American airstrikes. The decision reflects a difficult strategic calculation as the United States is already deeply committed to its confrontation with Iran, and opening a separate campaign against the Houthis could stretch US military resources further and potentially draw American forces into another prolonged conflict. Most of Trump's inner circle is reportedly deeply skeptical or outright opposed to joining Saudi Arabia's war against the Houthis, according to the Times. The US bombed the Houthis for two months in early 2025 under Operation Rough Rider, which reduced ballistic missile launches by 69 percent and drone launches by 55 percent that year, but Trump called off those strikes after reaching a ceasefire with the group. A senior Houthi official said Washington reached out after the group's advance to Bab el-Mandeb. Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David to return unexpectedly to the White House, though the White House gave no explanation for the early return.