Saudi Arabia Plans Offensive to Retake Bab el-Mandeb Strait
Saudi Arabia is preparing a military offensive to recapture the Bab el-Mandeb strait from Iran-backed Houthi militants to secure Red Sea shipping routes.
The Government of Saudi Arabia is planning a military offensive to recapture the Bab el-Mandeb strait from Iran-backed Houthi militants. The operation, expected to launch within weeks, aims to secure critical Red Sea shipping routes and reverse Houthi gains made in September. Riyadh has determined that peace negotiations are not viable while the Houthis maintain control of the strategic maritime chokepoint.
Saudi officials are weighing two strategic options: a focused coastal assault around the strait or a broader multi-front campaign involving simultaneous attacks in the governorates of Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz, and Al-Jawf. The offensive may mobilize over 100,000 Saudi-overseen Yemeni ground troops supported by Saudi airstrikes.
International support for the operation is mixed. The United States is providing intelligence and military advisers, but President Donald Trump has reportedly rejected requests from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for direct U.S. airstrikes or combat support. In contrast, Pakistan and Turkey are providing military equipment and advisers, with Pakistan deploying 30,000 to 40,000 troops to defend Saudi borders. The French Republic has announced the deployment of troops and defensive systems to protect the port city of Yanbu.
