Saudi Arabia plans offensive against the Houthis to break the Red Sea blockade, Reuters reveals

Saudi Arabia is planning a new offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, with options including a coastal push to secure the Red Sea shipping route or a simultaneous attack on several fronts, as Reuters writes, citing regional and Western officials. The operation, expected to begin within the next few weeks, would be led on the ground by Yemeni forces under Riyadh’s supervision, backed by Saudi airstrikes.

The main objective of the offensive, according to Reuters sources, is to reverse the Houthis’ rapid gains last month, when the group advanced along the coast and took control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait — the southern outlet of the Red Sea, a key route between the Mediterranean and Asia that has gained even more importance this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, effectively closed by the U.S.–Iran war. According to six sources with knowledge of the preparations, the offensive could mobilise over 100,000 Yemeni troops.

The two options under consideration are: a narrowly focused attack around the Bab el-Mandeb area, or a broader, synchronised offensive in the provinces of al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and al-Jawf. The exact launch timing remains unclear — estimates range from within a week to after the U.S. midterm elections in early November. Former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney expects a limited operation to retake the coastal areas and restore normal maritime traffic.

According to Reuters, Washington, Riyadh’s most powerful ally, is providing military advisers and intelligence, including targeting data, in support of Saudi air operations in Yemen — but President Trump has refused Saudi leader Mohammed bin Salman’s requests for direct military support such as airstrikes. Turkey and Pakistan, with which Riyadh signed a joint defence agreement last month, have supplied military equipment: Pakistan last month sent four cargo planes with air defence systems, artillery, drones and counter-drone systems to Aden, while Pakistani military advisers are on the ground alongside their Saudi counterparts. France has announced it will send defensive systems and troops to Saudi Arabia to protect the Red Sea port of Yanbu.

Analysts, however, warn of major challenges. “Many anti-Houthi forces are still unorganised or unprepared for the kind of sustained offensive needed to push back a disciplined Houthi military force,” Yemen analyst Mohammed Albasha told Reuters. Saudi analyst Ali Shihabi added that success would depend “very much on the quality of the local forces’ performance.”