Saudi Arabia is preparing a Saudi Houthi assault aimed at reversing Iran-backed fighters’ grip on the Bab el-Mandeb strait, regional and Western officials told Reuters on Oct. 2, 2026, outlining options that range from a focused coastal push to synchronized attacks across several Yemeni governorates.
The planned operation, expected in the coming weeks, would put Yemeni ground forces overseen by Riyadh at the tip of the spear, backed by Saudi air strikes, according to six people with knowledge of the preparations. Officials said more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized depending on the scale. Spokespeople for the Saudi and Yemeni governments, the Houthis and the U.S. military did not immediately comment when asked about the plans.
Why a Saudi Houthi assault now
A central objective is to roll back Houthi gains along the Red Sea coast last month, when the group advanced and seized control of Bab el-Mandeb, the southern gateway between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. That waterway has taken on outsized commercial importance this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed amid the wider Iran conflict.
Gulf and Western diplomats told Reuters that Riyadh has concluded it cannot reopen serious peace talks with the Houthis while the militants hold Bab el-Mandeb and the leverage that comes with it. Timing estimates for a launch stretched from within a week to after U.S. midterm elections in early November.
Earlier Boston Report coverage of the Houthi Taiz offensive along coastal approaches and of the Makkah defense pact linking Saudi Arabia with Turkey and Pakistan framed how Red Sea fighting is pulling in outside partners even when those partners stop short of direct combat roles.
Two operational options under review
Officials described two concepts. One is a narrowly focused attack around Bab el-Mandeb to restore coastal control and reopen maritime traffic. The other is a broader offensive with synchronized strikes in Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf. Former U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia Michael Ratney said he expected any move to be more limited than the 2015 coalition campaign that sought to rout the Houthis entirely, arguing Riyadh’s priority is restoring the status quo ante along the strait.
Washington is already providing intelligence and military advisers, including targeting information for Saudi air operations, Reuters reported, though President Donald Trump has previously rebuffed requests for direct U.S. air strikes. Turkey and Pakistan have supplied equipment; Pakistani officials said four cargo planes delivered air defense systems, light artillery, drones and anti-drone gear to Aden last month, and that Pakistani advisers are working with Saudi counterparts. Islamabad has not decided to send troops into Yemen to fight, one official said. France has announced defensive systems and troops for the Red Sea port of Yanbu.
Infrastructure defense and fractured Yemeni forces
Riyadh’s immediate worry is Houthi drone and missile retaliation against oil facilities and other infrastructure. Pakistan has deployed an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 troops inside Saudi Arabia for border and air-defense support, according to a Pakistani official cited by Reuters. Analyst Mohammed Albasha cautioned that many anti-Houthi factions remain poorly organized for a sustained push against a disciplined Houthi force already pressing several fronts at once.
Yemeni forces were further divided last winter when UAE-backed southern fighters clashed with Saudi-backed units over eastern territory and secession plans. Saudi analyst Ali Shihabi said success would hinge on how local ground forces perform once the front shifts from defense to offense. Readers following the wider Iran theater can also see how naval pressure has stacked up in our report on the U.S. third aircraft carrier moving toward Iran.
What shipping markets are watching
Any Saudi-directed campaign would mark a new flashpoint in a region already strained since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Insurers, tanker operators and energy traders will watch whether Bab el-Mandeb reopens to routine transit and whether Houthi long-range attacks escalate against Saudi critical infrastructure. For now, the planning described to Reuters remains unverified by official government statements, but the reported scale and allied defensive posture underscore how tightly Red Sea security is now wired into Gulf and Western calculations.