Yemen · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Saudi Arabia Prepares Offensive Against Iran-Backed Houthis To Retake Bab El-Mandeb
Saudi Arabia plans offensive against Houthis within weeks, led by Yemeni ground forces. Options include a coastal operation to secure Red Sea shipping lanes or multi-front attack.
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3 of 5 outlets skipped it: turkey and Pakistan supply specific defensive hardware to Saudi operations..
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Saudi plans weeks-long assault
Saudi Arabia is preparing an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, with regional and Western officials telling Reuters that the operation is expected to be launched in the coming weeks. Yemeni forces would lead the ground offensive under Riyadh’s supervision, while Saudi airstrikes would support the campaign, according to six people with knowledge of the preparations. The planned assault aims to stop the Houthis’ rapid gains along the coast and reverse their control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, which the sources described as a key maritime lane.
The Saudis are weighing two options, either a coastal operation around Bab el-Mandeb or a broader multi-front attack that would include simultaneous assaults in the provinces of al-Bayda, Ma’rib, Taiz, and al-Jawf. The preparations include the possibility of mobilizing more than 100,000 Yemeni troops, depending on the scale of the operation.
Allies, timing, and objectives
Reuters reported that the United States provides intelligence to support Riyadh’s operations in Yemen, while some regional and European countries provide mainly defensive military aid to the kingdom. Reuters also said Saudi allies are not expected to play a direct role in combat operations, even as the operation would be supported by Saudi airstrikes. Michael Ratney, the former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said he expects the attack to be focused and smaller in scope than the 2015 operation led by Saudi Arabia to defeat the Houthis.
Ratney added, "Ideally, it would be a relatively limited operation to retake coastal areas and get back to normal maritime traffic," as sources said Riyadh wants to restore the pre-control situation around Bab el-Mandeb. The six people familiar with the preparations could not specify a precise start date, with estimates ranging from within a week to after the U.S. midterm elections in early November.
Regional diplomacy and escalation
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar announced an emergency meeting of the Co-Security Treaty of Mecca member states will be held in Riyadh next week to discuss developments in Saudi Arabia, while he affirmed Pakistan’s commitment to defend the Kingdom. Dar said the emergency meeting would also discuss an Iranian proposal for politically engaging with the Huthis, as Riyadh’s preparations proceed alongside a diplomatic thrust led by Meccan Defense Alliance countries. The Euronews report said the alliance announced intercepting ballistic missiles aimed at Khamis Mushait, while Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saraa said Saudi Arabia conducted 94 airstrikes and missile strikes in the past 24 hours.
Saraa added that the strikes targeted civilian sites in Sana’a, Sa’da, Taiz, Hajja, Amran, and Ibb, and Reuters sources said Saudi Arabia is concerned about protecting its oil facilities and other infrastructure from drone and missile attacks. Euronews said Saraa claimed total Saudi airstrikes and missile strikes since the escalation began reached 1,350, as the planned offensive is framed as a way to halt Houthi control of Bab el-Mandeb and restore navigation.