RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is preparing a major offensive against Yemen’s Houthi rebels aimed at breaking their grip on the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a vital Red Sea shipping route, regional and Western officials told Reuters.
The operation, expected within weeks, will be led by Yemeni ground forces overseen by Riyadh and backed by Saudi air strikes, according to six people familiar with the preparations. While the US is providing intelligence support, foreign partners are not expected to take part in direct combat.
A key goal is to reverse rapid Houthi gains last month, when the Iran-backed militia advanced down the coast and seized Bab el-Mandeb, the southern gateway to the Red Sea. The strait has grown more critical this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, now closed by the Iran conflict.
Officials say Riyadh cannot pursue new peace talks while the Houthis hold the choke point, giving them significant global leverage. Two options are under consideration: a narrowly focused assault on Bab el-Mandeb, or a broader offensive with synchronized attacks across Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.
More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized. Spokespeople for the Saudi and Yemeni governments, the Houthis and the US military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said he expected a limited operation focused on retaking coastal areas rather than a full-scale campaign like the 2015 Saudi led intervention. “Ideally, it would be a fairly limited operation to retake coastal areas and get back to normal maritime traffic,” he said.
The Houthis have emerged as Iran’s most formidable Middle East ally since Israel’s degradation of Hezbollah in Lebanon over the past three years. A Saudi-directed offensive would mark a new flashpoint in a region engulfed by conflict since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent US-Israeli war on Iran.
Washington is providing military advisers and targeting intelligence to support Saudi air operations, though President Donald Trump has reportedly rebuffed requests from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for direct US military support such as air strikes.
Riyadh’s key concern is protecting its oil facilities from Houthi attacks. France will send defensive systems and troops to help protect the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Ground operations will rely on fractured Yemeni factions. Analysts warn many anti-Houthi forces remain unprepared.
