Saudi Arabia plans offensive against Houthis in Yemen, officials tell Reuters

MixedSaudi Arabia is planning an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen, according to regional and Western officials who spoke to Reuters. 1 2 MixedOptions under consideration are a coastal push to secure the Red Sea shipping route or an assault on multiple fronts. The operation is expected in the coming weeks, led by Yemeni forces overseen by Riyadh and backed by Saudi air strikes, according to six people with knowledge of the preparations. 1 2 MixedA key aim is to reverse the Houthis' rapid gains last month, when they advanced down the coast and seized the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The narrower option would target the Bab el-Mandeb area; the broader one would add synchronised attacks in the governorates of Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf. Depending on scale, more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilised. 1 2

MixedBab el-Mandeb, the southern exit of the Red Sea, has gained importance this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the Iran conflict. Western diplomats and a Gulf official said Riyadh has concluded it cannot enter new peace negotiations with the Houthis while they control it. 1 2 MixedThe six sources could not give a precise launch date, with estimates ranging from within a week to after the US midterm elections in early November. 1 2 MixedAllies are not expected to take a direct combat role. The US already provides intelligence, and one Western diplomat said it also supplies military advisers and targeting information, though Reuters has previously reported that President Donald Trump rebuffed Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's requests for direct support such as air strikes. 1 2

MixedTurkey and Pakistan, which signed a joint defence agreement with Saudi Arabia last month, have supplied equipment; Pakistan flew four cargo planes of air defence systems, artillery and drones to Aden, and Pakistani advisers are on the ground. A Pakistani official said 30,000–40,000 Pakistani troops are in Saudi Arabia on defensive duties, with no decision to send them to fight in Yemen. France has announced defensive systems and troops to protect the port of Yanbu. 1 2 MixedSaudi Arabia entered Yemen's civil war in 2015 leading an Arab coalition, and a 2022 truce largely held until this year, when Houthi missile and drone attacks hit Saudi shipping and oil infrastructure as a spillover from the Iran war. Protecting Saudi oil facilities from such attacks is a key concern for the new offensive. 1 2 MixedAnalysts urged caution. Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, expects a narrow, more modest operation than in 2015; Mohammed Albasha said many anti-Houthi forces are not prepared for a sustained offensive; and Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst close to government thinking, said success depends on the local forces' performance. 1 2

MixedSpokespeople for the Saudi and Yemeni governments, the Houthis and the US military did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and the plans have not been officially confirmed. 1 2