Saudi Arabia is planning an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, with options under consideration including a coastal push to secure the Red Sea shipping route or a multi-front assault, regional and Western officials told Reuters on Saturday.
What is being planned
The operation, expected to be launched in the coming weeks, would be led by Yemeni forces on the ground — which are overseen by Riyadh — and supported by Saudi air strikes, according to six people with knowledge of the preparations.
The officials could not give a precise launch date, with estimates ranging from within a week to after the US midterm elections in early November. More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilised, depending on the scale of the offensive.
A key objective, which has not been previously reported, is to reverse the rapid gains made by the Houthis last month when they advanced down the coast and seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The narrow waterway is the southern exit of the Red Sea, a key shipping route between the Mediterranean and Asia that has assumed even more importance this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the Iran conflict.
Riyadh has concluded it cannot enter new peace negotiations with the Houthis while the militants control Bab el-Mandeb, giving them significant global leverage, Western diplomats and a Gulf official said.
How allies fit in
The United States is already providing intelligence to support Riyadh's operations in Yemen, including military advisers and targeting information, but allies are not expected to play a direct combat role. Reuters has previously reported that US President Donald Trump rebuffed requests by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman for direct military support such as air strikes.
Turkey and Pakistan, with whom Saudi Arabia signed a joint defence agreement last month, have provided military equipment used in Yemen. Pakistan sent four cargo planes with equipment including air-defence systems, light artillery, drones and anti-drone systems to Aden last month, and between 30,000 and 40,000 Pakistani troops have been deployed to Saudi Arabia to help defend its land borders. France has announced it will send defensive systems and troops to help protect the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
Spokespeople for the Saudi and Yemeni governments, the Houthi group and the US military did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the plans.
Sources: Saudi Arabia Planning Assault on Houthis to Break Red Sea Chokehold — Reuters via Haaretz
What is being planned
The operation, expected to be launched in the coming weeks, would be led by Yemeni forces on the ground — which are overseen by Riyadh — and supported by Saudi air strikes, according to six people with knowledge of the preparations.
The officials could not give a precise launch date, with estimates ranging from within a week to after the US midterm elections in early November. More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilised, depending on the scale of the offensive.
A key objective, which has not been previously reported, is to reverse the rapid gains made by the Houthis last month when they advanced down the coast and seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The narrow waterway is the southern exit of the Red Sea, a key shipping route between the Mediterranean and Asia that has assumed even more importance this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the Iran conflict.
Riyadh has concluded it cannot enter new peace negotiations with the Houthis while the militants control Bab el-Mandeb, giving them significant global leverage, Western diplomats and a Gulf official said.
How allies fit in
The United States is already providing intelligence to support Riyadh's operations in Yemen, including military advisers and targeting information, but allies are not expected to play a direct combat role. Reuters has previously reported that US President Donald Trump rebuffed requests by Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman for direct military support such as air strikes.
Turkey and Pakistan, with whom Saudi Arabia signed a joint defence agreement last month, have provided military equipment used in Yemen. Pakistan sent four cargo planes with equipment including air-defence systems, light artillery, drones and anti-drone systems to Aden last month, and between 30,000 and 40,000 Pakistani troops have been deployed to Saudi Arabia to help defend its land borders. France has announced it will send defensive systems and troops to help protect the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
Spokespeople for the Saudi and Yemeni governments, the Houthi group and the US military did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the plans.
Sources: Saudi Arabia Planning Assault on Houthis to Break Red Sea Chokehold — Reuters via Haaretz
