International Desk

Saudi Arabia is preparing for a new military operation against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, with the campaign potentially beginning within weeks as Riyadh seeks to regain control of key Red Sea shipping routes and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, Reuters reported, citing regional and Western officials.

According to the sources, Riyadh is considering two possible plans. One involves a limited ground offensive around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, while the other would involve simultaneous operations on multiple fronts in Yemen. The second option could include the provinces of Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.

Saudi-backed Yemeni forces are expected to lead the ground operations, with Saudi Arabia providing air support. Depending on the scale of the operation, more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be deployed, officials said.

Reuters reported that the United States is providing intelligence support for the Saudi operation. Several regional and European countries are providing Saudi Arabia mainly with defensive military assistance, although Riyadh’s allies are not expected to take part directly in combat operations.

The Houthis advanced along Yemen’s Red Sea coast last month and took control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, according to the report. Preventing the advance and regaining control of the strait are among the main objectives of the Saudi plan, the sources said. Bab al-Mandab is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and a vital commercial shipping route between Europe and Asia.

No specific date has yet been set for the operation. People familiar with the matter said it could begin within a week, while another possibility is that it could be launched after the US midterm elections in early November.

The Saudi and Yemeni governments, the Houthi group and the US military did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s war against the Houthis in 2015. A ceasefire between the warring parties was reached in 2022 and remained broadly in effect until this year. However, tensions have risen again amid the Iran war, with the Houthis launching missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi vessels and oil infrastructure, Reuters reported.