RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is considering military action against Yemen’s Houthis as Riyadh looks to regain control of areas near the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, regional and Western officials told Reuters.
The plans include a possible operation around the strategic strait or a broader campaign covering Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.
The campaign could involve more than 100,000 Yemeni troops, depending on its scale. Yemeni forces would carry out the ground operations with Saudi air support, according to six people familiar with the preparations.
No date has been finalized. Officials said the operation could start within a week or be delayed until after the U.S. midterm elections in early November.
Bab el-Mandeb is a major concern for Riyadh because the narrow waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and carries important shipping traffic between Europe and Asia.
Saudi officials believe control of areas around the strait by the Houthis would make it difficult to return to peace negotiations, according to Gulf officials and Western diplomats.
The United States is supporting Saudi Arabia with intelligence and military advisers. A Western diplomat cited by Reuters said U.S. assistance includes information used for targeting.
Saudi Arabia’s allies are not expected to send forces for direct combat.
Pakistan has also provided military support to Saudi Arabia. Pakistani officials said four cargo planes carrying air defense systems, light artillery, drones and counter-drone equipment were sent to Aden last month.
Pakistani military advisers are working with their Saudi counterparts in support of Yemeni forces, according to Pakistani and Western officials.
A Pakistani official said 30,000 to 40,000 Pakistani troops are deployed in Saudi Arabia to help defend the kingdom’s borders and assist with drone and missile interceptions. The official said Pakistan has not decided to send troops into Yemen for combat.
Turkey has also supplied military equipment to Saudi Arabia, while France has announced plans to provide defensive systems and troops to help protect Yanbu, a Red Sea port city.
Former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney said any Saudi operation would likely be limited, with coastal areas and maritime traffic expected to be a main focus.
The Houthis have become a major Iran-aligned force in Yemen during the country’s prolonged civil war. Any new ground campaign would depend on Yemeni groups opposed to the Houthis, with backing from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Yemen analyst Mohammed Albasha said anti-Houthi forces remain divided and lack full readiness for a prolonged offensive. Saudi political analyst Ali Shihabi said the performance of local Yemeni forces would be crucial to any military operation.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015 as part of an Arab coalition supporting the internationally recognized government after the Houthis took control of Sanaa.
A truce in 2022 brought a major reduction in fighting and held for several years. Tensions have increased again this year, with Houthi attacks affecting Saudi-linked shipping and oil infrastructure.
