According to Axios, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called President Trump twice Thursday to urge U.S. strikes against the Houthis as the Iran-backed group advanced toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait, but Trump declined and U.S. officials said Washington has no plans to intervene directly for now. Oil prices surged Thursday as the Houthis seized a strategic coastal city in Yemen, and Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia for urgent coordination meetings. U.S. officials said the administration will provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data, while roughly 200 U.S. military personnel are already in the kingdom providing non-kinetic support. A senior Trump administration official said the U.S. priority is keeping the Red Sea open and leaving the broader fight to regional partners.