Saudi Arabia prepares military offensive in Yemen to retake Bab el-Mandeb strait
Riyadh plans to deploy over 100,000 Yemeni ground troops with Saudi air cover in the coming weeks to break the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea.
Strategic objectives and operational scope
Saudi Arabia is preparing a military offensive against Houthi forces in Yemen to break the blockade of the Red Sea and reverse territorial losses around the Bab el-Mandeb strait. The campaign, which Saudi leadership approved several days ago, is scheduled to launch in the coming weeks. Riyadh will oversee Yemeni ground forces who will lead the push, backed directly by Saudi air strikes. More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized for the operation depending on the final scale selected by military planners. Saudi officials have concluded that they cannot enter new peace negotiations with the Houthis while the group retains control over the maritime passage.
Tactical options under review
Planners in Riyadh are evaluating two operational options for the upcoming offensive. The first option focuses narrowly on the coastal corridor surrounding the Bab el-Mandeb strait to restore commercial navigation. The second option involves a broader, synchronized campaign across multiple active fronts in Yemen, including the governorates of Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz, and Al-Jawf. Saudi Arabia originally entered Yemen's civil conflict in 2015 at the head of an Arab coalition to back the internationally recognized government after Houthis seized Sanaa. A truce established between the warring sides in 2022 largely held until this year, when Houthi missile and drone strikes targeted Saudi shipping and energy infrastructure.
- Saudi Arabia enters the Yemen conflict at the head of an Arab coalition
- Warring parties establish a truce across Yemen
- Houthi forces declare a naval blockade targeting Saudi shipping
- Houthis seize the Bab el-Mandeb strait and launch attacks toward Riyadh and Yanbu
- Prince Khalid bin Salman briefs Pete Hegseth on the planned military operation
Diplomatic appeals and Washington position
Riyadh has repeatedly asked the United States to join the campaign with airstrikes, but Washington has rebuffed the requests. Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman contacted US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday to brief him on the planned assault and ask for American aerial participation. US officials confirmed that Washington will not take kinetic action for now, though direct intervention could be revisited if ground operations encounter significant difficulties.
US deliberation and regional security
US President Donald Trump has weighed whether to assist Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman against the risk of entering a new military front in the region. Trump came close to ordering airstrikes against Houthi targets last week after a direct appeal from the Crown Prince, but ultimately decided to hold off. US Central Command also raised serious reservations about striking Yemen, viewing the operation as a potential distraction from its military campaign against Iran. Despite withholding combat forces, the United States is supplying Riyadh with operational intelligence and targeting data, while select European and regional partners provide defensive military aid.
Shipping disruption and economic stakes
The planned offensive follows months of escalating Houthi operations linked to the regional conflict with Iran. The militant movement declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July, expanding attacks in September to strike Riyadh directly as well as the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Yanbu has served as a vital alternative oil export hub following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Houthi fighters advanced along the southern Red Sea coast last month to capture the Bab el-Mandeb strait, granting the group and its Iranian backers significant leverage over international trade routes between the Mediterranean and Asia.
