Saudi Arabia readies major offensive against Yemen's Houthi rebels

Saudi Arabia is preparing a large-scale military offensive against the Iran‑backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, targeting both maritime routes and a possible land operation in central Yemen. The operation aims to break the Houthi‑imposed blockade that threatens Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea.

Saudi forces have been observed pulling back from eastern Yemen, which analysts interpret as preparation for a ground advance. Riyadh is also seeking to assemble a multinational maritime coalition, with a joint statement signed by 14 states—including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan and Djibouti—to protect commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Bab al‑Mandab strait. The European Union already runs the Aspides naval mission in the area.

The Houthi movement, which controls Sana'a and much of the Red Sea coastline, announced a blockade of Saudi vessels on 20 July but said it would lift the restriction if Saudi Arabia ends its own blockade of Yemen. On 25 July the Houthis claimed to have struck oil‑transport infrastructure in eastern Saudi Arabia. With the war in the Persian Gulf limiting Saudi crude flows through the Hormuz Strait, the Red Sea corridor has become vital; more than half of Saudi oil now moves overland to the Yanbu terminal.