Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) called President Trump twice Thursday, urging him to launch strikes against the Houthis as the Iran-backed group closed in on a vital Red Sea chokepoint, two U.S. officials told Axios. Trump declined, and U.S. officials stressed the administration has no plans to intervene directly against the Houthis for now. Why it matters: Oil prices surged Thursday as the Houthis seized a strategic coastal city in Yemen, pushing them closer to the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a vital artery for global trade and Saudi oil exports. With Iran already disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Houthi control of Bab al-Mandab could give Tehran a powerful new point of leverage over the U.S. and its Gulf allies. Driving the news: The U.S. is concerned about the rapidly escalating fight in Yemen and is stepping up support for Saudi Arabia while trying to avoid direct military involvement. Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command, traveled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent coordination meetings, two sources with knowledge of the matter said. The Saudi embassy in Washington and the White House declined to comment. Catch up quick: The Saudi-Houthi confrontation reignited in July after Riyadh prevented an Iranian plane carrying senior Houthi officials home from the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from landing in Sanaa. MBS asked Trump for political backing to strike the Sanaa airport, but made clear Saudi Arabia did not need U.S. military assistance. Trump gave him his support. The Houthis retaliated by attacking Saudi tankers in the Red Sea, threatening a crucial route for the kingdom's oil exports, and later expanded their attacks to Saudi energy facilities. Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies responded with airstrikes and ground offensives against Houthi positions. Behind the scenes: Saudi Arabia's request for direct U.S. military action marks a sharp reversal from July, when Riyadh told Washington it could handle the Houthis on its own. As the fighting intensified, however, the Saudis began seeking increasing levels of U.S. support. U.S. military and civilian officials have told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump's directive is to keep American forces focused on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz — and avoid opening another front, sources familiar with the discussions said. On Thursday, as Houthi forces advanced on the coastal city of Mokha and Saudi-backed Yemeni forces retreated, MBS called Trump to brief him on the deteriorating situation, U.S. officials said. Several hours later, MBS called again and urged Trump to order U.S. strikes against the Houthis. Trump declined, but a U.S. official said the administration will provide Saudi Arabia with intelligence on the Houthis and targeting data. Roughly 200 U.S. military personnel are already in Saudi Arabia providing non-kinetic support, the official said. What they're saying: A senior Trump administration official signaled that Washington's priority is keeping the Red Sea open while leaving the broader fight to its regional partners. "The United States is focused on protecting our core national security interests — such as ensuring freedom of navigation in the Red Sea — while empowering our regional partners to take the lead in managing and resolving regional security challenges," the official said. "We are in continuous dialogue with Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Yemen Government regarding regional stability."