Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sought assistance from President Trump Thursday to help fight Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, two sources familiar with the matter said Friday, as the Houthis stepped up their threat to the Red Sea.Trump held at least two phone conversations with the Saudi Crown Prince Thursday, sources said. In the end, Washington told Riyadh that it was not willing to take direct military action for now but would help with intelligence sharing and targeting, the two sources said. The White House did not address a question on any phone calls between the two leaders, but a senior US official speaking on the condition of anonymity said Washington was in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni govt. Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command, travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday, two sources said.
