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Saudis plan assault on Houthis to break Red Sea chokehold: Reuters
The plan could mobilize more than 100,000 Yemeni troops as Riyadh weighs a narrow strike at Bab el-Mandeb or a broader multi-front assault.
Saudi Arabia is planning an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi militants to secure the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a critical shipping route between the Mediterranean and Asia that serves as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
Riyadh determined it cannot pursue peace negotiations while Houthis control Bab el-Mandeb, which grants the militants significant global leverage; the assault aims to reverse rapid Houthi gains made last month.
More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized for the operation under Saudi air support, with planners considering either a narrow strike on Bab el-Mandeb or a broader campaign across multiple fronts in Yemen.
While the US provides intelligence, Saudi allies are not expected to play direct combat roles; Pakistan and Turkey have supplied military equipment, and France is sending defensive systems to protect the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.
Launch timing remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from the coming weeks to early November; analysts caution that anti-Houthi forces may lack the organization required for sustained combat against a disciplined Houthi military force.