Saudi Arabia mobilizes 100,000+ troops for Yemen offensive against Houthis

Saudi Arabia is preparing a major military operation against Houthi forces in Yemen, potentially deploying over 100,000 Yemeni government troops under Saudi command within weeks. According to Middle Eastern and Western officials, the operation aims to reclaim control of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea after Houthi forces seized the critical waterway in September. The U.S. is providing military advisors and intelligence support; other regional and European allies are offering defensive military assistance but are not expected to participate directly in combat.

Saudi planners are considering multiple operational approaches: a coastal advance focused specifically on securing the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, or broader simultaneous operations across multiple fronts. Ground combat will be conducted by Yemen's internationally recognized government forces with full air support from Saudi Arabia. Western and Gulf state officials assess that Houthi control of the strait gives the movement significant global leverage and effectively blocks renewed Yemen peace negotiations.

The timeline remains uncertain. Sources indicate the operation could begin within one week or be delayed until after the U.S. midterm elections in early November. On the ground, fighting has intensified in Taiz Province in southwestern Yemen, with reports of at least 80 combatant deaths in a single day—at least 55 among Houthi forces. Saudi officials also reported a Houthi attack on a school in Najran, located approximately 15 kilometers north of the Yemen border, indicating escalating cross-border incidents.

Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil conflict since 2015, supporting the internationally recognized government. A ceasefire between Riyadh and the Houthis held for most of the period from 2022 until this year, when Houthi forces resumed rocket and drone attacks on Saudi shipping and oil infrastructure. The governments of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the Houthis, and U.S. military have not commented on the reports.