Washington, DC

Target lists had reportedly received approval and ordnance was being loaded onto warplanes before President Donald Trump aborted a planned strike against Houthi hideouts in Yemen, rejecting urgent appeals from ally Saudi Arabia, according to a report by The New York Times.

The US leader had previously hesitated over Saudi requests for American military intervention to curb the expanding influence of the Iranian proxy group near the Red Sea. Tensions peaked following a direct appeal from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and a key ally in the conflict with Iran, who phoned Trump to press for immediate assistance against the advancing forces, as cited by US officials in the NYT report.

Just a day prior, Trump reportedly informed his advisers of his reluctance to intervene in the hostilities between the Houthis and Riyadh. However, following the Thursday discussion with the Crown Prince, frequently referred to as MBS, Trump shifted his stance, directing Pentagon officials to ready airstrikes against the Iranian proxy group.

By Sunday, Trump reversed course once more, with US officials confirming that no American airstrikes would target the Houthis, at least for the present.

The report noted that Trump altered his strategy at the final hour when commanders had "approved target lists, troops were loading bombs onto US warplanes selected for the missions and the wave of attacks was just about to begin."

While the White House has released no formal statement regarding the shift in policy, a senior official maintained that "the US has a defence agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we will always defend our allies."

Another senior official stated that the majority of the president's inner circle remains either "deeply sceptical or outright opposed to joining the Saudi fight against the Houthis, especially given the existing strains facing the US military in the war with Iran."

Concurrently, Trump informed Fox News that the Houthis have agreed to refrain from targeting the United States, notwithstanding the group's escalating campaign against regional ally Saudi Arabia. Network correspondent Trey Yingst, who maintains frequent contact with Trump, reported the president's assertion that Washington remains "in constant communication with the Houthis and that they've agreed not to fight the United States."

Trump has previously asserted that the Houthis are exercising restraint regarding US forces in the area.

"The Houthis called us and they don't want to fight with us," Trump stated during a September 12 visit to Ireland. "They don't want us to go after them."

These latest remarks to Fox News coincide with mounting pressure on Saudi Arabia, highlighted by a missile strike directed at the capital, Riyadh, over the weekend.

The Houthis have likewise advanced swiftly across Yemen, capturing significant territory from the internationally recognised government supported by Saudi Arabia.

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Fox News further indicated that Trump remains in "deciding mode" regarding Iran, where American and Israeli military forces initiated a substantial aerial campaign on February 28 before entering a prolonged standoff lasting nearly seven months. Yingst conveyed that Trump noted "big things will be happening in the not-so-distant future" and emphasised that "Iranians better behave, and he is making this decision as to whether or not to blow up their nation."