Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump twice on Thursday and urged him to launch an attack on Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement, Axios reported, citing two US officials, Reuters news agency reported.
Trump rejected the request, and US officials said the administration does not intend to take direct military action against the Houthis at this time, the report said.
Reuters could not immediately independently confirm the allegations. The White House and the Saudi Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment after hours.
According to Akios, the United States (US) is increasingly concerned about the rapidly escalating conflict in Yemen and is increasing its support for Saudi Arabia, while trying to avoid direct military involvement.
Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the US military's Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination talks, the report said.
US military and civilian officials have also conveyed to their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump's directive is for US forces to remain focused on Iran and protecting the Strait of Hormuz, while avoiding opening another military front, Axios adds.
Reuters reported earlier in July that Saudi Arabia was seeking to form an international coalition to protect maritime traffic in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, as tensions in and around Yemen continued to rise.
The escalation began in early July, when the Houthis announced that their forces had confronted Saudi "warplanes" that were trying to prevent an Iranian civilian plane from landing at Sanaa International Airport.
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