Saudi Arabia is preparing a new military offensive against Yemen’s Houthis aimed at breaking the group’s control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait and reopening one of the world’s most important shipping routes, according to regional and Western officials.
The operation could begin within weeks and would be led on the ground by Yemeni forces backed by Saudi air strikes, six officials familiar with the preparations told Reuters.
Riyadh is considering either a concentrated assault around Bab el-Mandeb or a much broader campaign involving simultaneous attacks across several Yemeni fronts, including Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.
More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could potentially be mobilised depending on the scale of the operation, officials said.
The planned offensive follows rapid Houthi advances along Yemen’s western coast last month, which left the group in control of Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow southern gateway to the Red Sea.
The strait has become even more strategically important amid disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict with Iran.
Saudi officials have concluded that new peace negotiations with the Houthis would be difficult while the group retains control of Bab el-Mandeb and the leverage that comes with dominating a major international trade route, according to Western diplomats and a Gulf official.
The timing remains uncertain. Officials said the operation could begin within days or be delayed until after the US midterm elections in early November.
Former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney said he expected Riyadh to favour a more limited operation rather than a repeat of the large-scale intervention launched by the Saudi-led coalition in 2015.
The immediate objective, he said, would likely be to retake coastal territory and restore maritime traffic rather than attempt to defeat the Houthis across Yemen.
Washington is already providing Saudi Arabia with military advisers, intelligence and targeting information for operations in Yemen, according to a Western diplomat.
US President Donald Trump, however, has previously rejected Saudi requests for direct American combat support, including US air strikes.
Pakistan and Türkiye are also providing military equipment that Saudi Arabia is using in the Yemen theatre, regional and Pakistani officials said.
Pakistan sent four military cargo aircraft to Aden last month carrying equipment including air-defence systems, light artillery, drones and counter-drone systems, according to a Pakistani official.
Pakistani military advisers are also operating alongside Saudi personnel in support of Yemeni forces, while Turkish-made drones previously purchased by Riyadh have been deployed over Yemen, officials said.
Islamabad has additionally deployed between 30,000 and 40,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to reinforce border security and assist with missile and drone interception, according to a Pakistani official.
Pakistan has not decided to deploy troops inside Yemen for combat operations, the official said.
France has meanwhile announced plans to send defensive systems and military personnel to Saudi Arabia to help protect the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
One of Riyadh’s biggest concerns is the possibility that a new offensive could trigger renewed Houthi missile and drone attacks against Saudi oil facilities and other critical infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia first entered Yemen’s civil war in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government after the Houthis seized Sanaa.
A 2022 truce sharply reduced cross-border fighting for several years, but tensions escalated again this year as Houthi missile and drone attacks targeted Saudi-linked shipping and energy infrastructure.
Any renewed ground campaign would depend heavily on a fragmented collection of Yemeni armed groups previously trained and equipped by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Yemen analyst Mohammed Albasha warned that many anti-Houthi forces remain poorly organised for a prolonged offensive against a battle-hardened Houthi military.
The anti-Houthi camp was further weakened by clashes last winter between UAE-backed southern factions and Saudi-supported forces after southern separatists attempted to seize territory in eastern Yemen.
Saudi analyst Ali Shihabi said Riyadh’s forces had so far focused on holding defensive positions but were preparing to shift toward offensive operations.
The success of the campaign, he said, would ultimately depend on the performance of Yemeni ground forces.
