Trump indicated he might reach out to Erdogan to request Turkey's involvement in supporting Saudi Arabia as Houthi forces from Yemen intensify their assault on the kingdom. On Tuesday, 13 October, Trump told reporters he had held a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman regarding the attacks, and directed criticism at the Houthi group over its conduct, characterising the group's actions as a serious violation of acceptable behaviour.
Pressed by journalists on the topic of the organisation, Trump gave a two-word reply, a news outlet reported. No specific military steps were outlined in his remarks, though they left open the question of how far the administration might go if the fighting continues to spread.
These events unfolded as Saudi Arabia readied additional operations against Houthi-held territory in Yemen, with Türkiye expressing alignment with the kingdom's position. A phone call between Erdogan and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday included a joint discussion of Houthi strikes against Saudi territory, with Erdogan voicing opposition to those attacks.
A statement from Türkiye's Communications Directorate relayed that Erdoğan had expressed his country's intention to maintain its backing of Saudi Arabia. According to the released statement, Erdoğan described the attacks as deserving the strongest possible condemnation and extended his sympathies to the families of those killed. Voicing optimism about Saudi Arabia's ability to navigate the difficulties, he said the country would find a way through.
A trilateral defence pact bearing the Mecca name was formalised among Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan during the month of August. Whenever hostilities are directed at any one of the three parties, the pact obliges the remaining members to treat that act as a blow against all of them.
Options under consideration by Türkiye for bolstering Saudi Arabia's defences span air defence systems alongside logistical and technical backing. Formal ratification by that legislature remains pending, which means the defence obligations outlined in the agreement have not yet taken legal hold. Ankara is weighing how it might contribute to Saudi Arabia's defence, the foreign minister said, while the country continues to pursue a negotiated resolution. Deploying troops across borders for offensive operations is a step he indicated would not be taken.
People living near the Yemen Petroleum Company's Al-Sabaha Central Station in Sanaa received a notice on Tuesday from the Saudi-led coalition to clear the area ahead of what the coalition characterised as a planned military strike against the facility. An evacuation notice from coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki called on those at the location to move away for their own protection.
Accounts from local residents and news crews placed the sound of blasts across the city, which remains under Houthi administration, not long after the preceding events. Al-Masirah, a broadcaster operating under Houthi authority, carried an account of airstrikes by Saudi-led forces on a petroleum installation to the west of Sanaa. Details on the scale of the destruction remained unavailable at that point, and no statement from Saudi authorities had come through to verify the attack.
The violence — characterised by some as an orchestrated attack — unfolded against a backdrop of deteriorating relations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, a period that had already included strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in which people lost their lives. Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, stated that any strike on Sanaa would draw a forceful retaliatory response directed at Riyadh.
The statement also directed workers and civilians to vacate Saudi Aramco installations, King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and an Aramco-connected refinery, describing each of those locations as a valid military objective. Alerts about possible follow-on strikes against Saudi Arabia's energy infrastructure and transport networks had been circulating. Vows of retaliatory action from the Houthis have come alongside announcements that the Saudi-led coalition is moving toward further operations in Yemen.
