Saudi Arabia is preparing a new offensive against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, with Riyadh weighing either a focused coastal assault to retake territory around the Bab el-Mandeb strait or a broader operation spanning multiple provinces, according to people familiar with the plans cited by Reuters. The planning follows a rapid Houthi advance last month in which the group swept down the Yemeni coast and seized control of the strait, a narrow waterway separating the Arabian Peninsula from the Horn of Africa that serves as the southern gateway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Any operation would reportedly be led by Yemeni forces under Saudi oversight, backed by Saudi air power, and could be launched within weeks.
The stakes for maritime trade have risen sharply as Bab el-Mandeb has emerged as a vital pressure valve for oil shipments following the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz amid the broader Iran conflict. Saudi Arabia has been routing growing volumes of crude via pipeline to its Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu specifically to bypass Hormuz, making uninterrupted transit through Bab el-Mandeb increasingly important to global energy markets. Houthi control of the strait, together with the group’s prior missile and drone attacks on shipping in the southern Red Sea, has kept war-risk premiums elevated for vessels transiting the route and added a further layer of uncertainty for carriers already navigating disrupted Middle East trade lanes.
Source: Outlook India — https://www.outlookindia.com/international/saudi-arabia-plans-houthi-offensive-to-retake-bab-el-mandeb-and-secure-red-sea-shipping
Tags: Bab el-Mandeb, Red Sea, Houthis, Saudi Arabia
