Saudi Arabia Plans Major Yemen Offensive to Counter Houthi Gains

Saudi Arabia is planning a major offensive in civil war-torn Yemen, hoping to reverse gains made by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who seized a strategic Red Sea chokepoint last month, Reuters reported on Friday, citing Gulf and Yemeni officials and Western diplomats.

More than 100,000 Yemeni government troops could be mobilized for the offensive, depending on its scale, according to Reuters. The operation would be overseen by Saudi Arabia and supported by Saudi airstrikes. The US and other Western countries providing intelligence and material support to Riyadh are not expected to take part in combat operations.

According to Reuters, the Saudis are considering two options: an attack focused on recapturing the coastal area around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, or a broader offensive involving synchronized attacks on multiple fronts in Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.

Saudi Arabia first intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognized government, which the Houthis had driven from the capital, Sanaa, the previous year. Large-scale fighting decreased significantly following a UN-brokered truce in 2022.

The fighting escalated again last month, with the Houthis accusing Riyadh of imposing an illegal “siege” on Yemen. The rebels have since captured the strategic port of Mokha and Perim Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.