Story perspectives

Trump Refuses Yemen Houthi Airstrikes as Shipping Threat Grows

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 9:57 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Trump Refuses Airstrikes

President Donald Trump refused to authorize airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi militia on 10 September.
Houthis seized Mokha, Perim Island and moved toward the Kahboub Mountains in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia formed a 14-nation Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition, including Djibouti, to protect shipping.
U.S. diesel hit an all-time high of $6.51 per gallon.
Houthis agreed not to target U.S. forces and will let most ships pass, officials said.

Summary

Aramco Shifts Sales

Brent crude fell below $100 per barrel for the first time since September 9.
Satellite images showed seven VLCC supertankers loading about 14 million barrels at Ras Tanura on Sunday.
Saudi Aramco redirected crude sales from Europe to Asia after the East-West pipeline attack.
Analysts said the pipeline could take six weeks or more to fully restore after drone strikes.

History

Historical Context

The 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait sparked a U.S. embargo that drove Brent from $17 to $46 per barrel by October and prompted a 42-nation coalition to patrol Gulf shipping; Iraq’s January 1991 spill released about four million barrels. That conflict-driven price surge and naval response echo today’s Saudi-backed coalition and Trump’s refusal to order airstrikes, keeping Brent below $100.

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Trump Refuses Airstrikes

President Donald Trump refused to authorize airstrikes against Yemen’s Houthi militia on 10 September.
Houthis seized Mokha, Perim Island and moved toward the Kahboub Mountains in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia formed a 14-nation Multinational Maritime Defense Coalition, including Djibouti, to protect shipping.
U.S. diesel hit an all-time high of $6.51 per gallon.
Houthis agreed not to target U.S. forces and will let most ships pass, officials said.

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