The Saudis signaled last week to the Trump administration their concern about a broader conflict with the Houthis, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio meeting the Saudi ambassador Thursday and the Saudi foreign minister Friday. Following these meetings, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) spoke to President Donald Trump by phone Friday.
During this phone call, MBS requested Trump’s support to conduct military operations against the Houthis, which may widen the war with Iran, and Trump granted it, according to two U.S. officials.
Tensions escalated 10 days ago when a Mahan Air plane, an Iranian plane, picked up a delegation of Houthis from Sanaa International Airport for Khamenei’s funeral. This was highly unusual because Saudi Arabia had blocked flights from Sanaa to Iran to prevent the funneling of weapons to the Houthis.
“Mahan Air is the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] airline. It was designated and sanctioned by the U.S. government,” a U.S. official said.
The Houthis claimed that the Saudis attempted unsuccessfully to prevent the Iranian airplane from landing and threatened to strike the Saudis if they made another similar attempt. In response, the Saudis bombed Sanaa International Airport before the Mahan Air jet could land there. The internationally recognized government of Yemen also claimed responsibility for the attack. The plane was forced to change course and land in Al Hudaydah on the Red Sea coast.
The U.S. official claimed that military equipment was stashed aboard the plane.
The Houthis retaliated by bombing Abha International Airport in southwest Saudi Arabia and warning airlines not to fly in Saudi airspace until the Saudis granted them freedom of the skies.