The United States rejected the UAE request for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support as well as minesweepers, which will be provided by France, a senior UAE official told CNN.
The news network said minesweeper ships were needed to clear Houthi-planted mines from al Hodeidah, a lifeline port that has been used to bring in vital supplies to the starving population of partially blockaded Yemen.
The offensive by the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Gulf Arab states was announced on Wednesday. Its stated goal is to end a stalemate in the four-year conflict, while the United Nations has warned a disruption will acerbate human suffering.
