Saudi Arabia Prepares Large-Scale Land and Sea Offensive Against Yemen's Houthi Rebels

Saudi Arabia is gearing up for a significant military operation against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, involving both naval maneuvers and a possible extensive ground assault in central Yemen, according to Yemeni sources cited by the British newspaper The Guardian. The Saudi objective is to break the Houthi blockade on oil export routes in the southern Red Sea. Saudi forces have reportedly withdrawn from eastern Yemen and are regrouping for a potential attack in Al-Bayda province, which the Houthis captured between 2020 and 2021.

In parallel with the ground preparations, Riyadh is establishing a multinational naval coalition to secure shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that 14 countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti, have signed a joint declaration supporting the coalition. Saudi Arabia has also reached out to the United States and leading European nations such as the UK, France, Germany, and Italy to join the initiative.

This Saudi move follows a Houthi declaration on July 20 of a naval blockade against Saudi vessels and recent Houthi attacks on strategic Saudi oil facilities linking eastern oil fields to the Yanbu port on the Red Sea, as well as damage to a third Saudi commercial ship in the area. The Red Sea route has become critically important for Saudi oil exports due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which previously handled about 80% of Saudi crude exports. Currently, over half of Saudi oil is transported overland to Red Sea ports, making any closure of this route a severe blow to Saudi Arabia's economy and global oil shipments.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman held urgent talks in Washington with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to discuss next steps. Riyadh emphasizes its determination to protect its oil industry and sovereignty but seeks to avoid escalation that could lead to a full-scale war with Iran, preferring diplomatic solutions. Meanwhile, Oman continues mediation efforts with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Prince Khalid conveyed to Vice President Vance that Saudi Arabia's stance differs from Israel's, with Riyadh favoring de-escalation and diplomacy over military confrontation. He stressed that recent joint U.S.-Saudi strikes against pro-Iranian militias in Iraq were necessary responses to drone attacks crossing a red line. The Saudi minister also indicated Riyadh's capability to handle the Houthi threat independently without further U.S. military involvement at this stage, while maintaining direct negotiations with the Houthis. The White House declined to comment on the meeting details.