Saudi Arabia gears up for major offensive against Yemen’s Houthis – report

Saudi Arabia’s military is preparing to launch a large-scale offensive on land and sea against the Yemeni Houthi terrorists, according to a Friday report by the British Guardian, based on Yemeni sources.

The sources highlighted recent local withdrawals in eastern Yemen as a possible sign of preparations for a new offensive in the country’s central region. They also pointed to Thursday’s announcement of a new multinational maritime defense coalition as a possible indication that a naval offensive could soon begin.

They also estimated that a ground offensive could target al-Bayda, a governorate in central southern Yemen captured by the Houthis in 2020-21.

On Thursday, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said a “Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance” was established with 13 other countries, including the internationally recognized and Saudi-backed Yemeni government, as well as Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, and others. Notably, the United Arab Emirates and Oman did not join.

The Army Chiefs of countries participating in the Maritime Defense Coalition to maintain freedom of navigation in the Bab al-Mandab Strait met in Saudi Arabia today, amid reports that Riyadh is seeking to build an international coalition to protect shipping in the Red Sea from… pic.twitter.com/Y6Sz4CD2Qg

— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) July 30, 2026

The participating states share a “conviction that maritime security is a shared responsibility and that cooperation and coordination among states constitute the cornerstone for confronting common and transnational maritime threats,” they said in a joint statement, while stressing that the alliance is “purely defensive in nature.”

The reported preparations for a ground offensive come amid skyrocketing tensions in the southern Arabian Peninsula in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, the Houthis fired ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia, ending the truce that had held since March 2022 and raising fears of a broader regional war amid renewed exchanges of fire between the U.S. and the Houthis’ patron, the regime in Tehran.

Previously, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, which does not have its own air force, claimed responsibility for airstrikes on a Houthi airport aimed at preventing an Iranian plane from landing in violation of a long-standing blockade designed to prevent the Iranian proxy from receiving weapons. However, the aircraft was diverted and later landed in Hodeidah.

The Telegraph, citing sources in Yemen, reports that the Houthis are preparing contingency plans to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait in coordination with Iran if Tehran decides to escalate the conflict further.

According to the report, the Houthis are expanding ties with Somalia's… pic.twitter.com/2ugHuY5Wde

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 16, 2026

In response, the Houthis declared their own naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, warning commercial vessels against using Saudi ports. The move prompted shipping companies and naval authorities to reassess security risks in the critical Bab el-Mandeb strait, the gate to the Red Sea.

The closure of the Bab el-Mandeb strait threatens to cripple Saudi exports, as the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked by Iran. More than half of Saudi oil exports are now being transported overland to loading terminals in the Red Sea port city of Yanbu.

The Houthis have since launched attacks on ships and infrastructure belonging to the state oil company Aramco. After some of these drone strikes were launched from Iraqi territory in coordination with Iranian-backed proxy militias, Saudi Arabia carried out strikes against targets in Iraq this week.

On Wednesday, the Houthis confirmed that a senior commander of its forces was killed in the combined U.S.-Saudi airstrikes in Iraq, alongside four advisors from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

Saudi Arabia's defense minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, reportedly held an urgent meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday to discuss next steps.

At the same time, the Houthis have faced growing pressure from internal opponents, with tribal forces mobilizing against their rule and Yemeni government-aligned forces clashing with Houthi fighters in the southwestern governorate of Dhale this week.