Saudi Arabia and Yemeni Government Forces Plan Offensive Near Bab el-Mandeb

Saudi Arabia and Yemeni government forces are planning a large-scale counteroffensive against the Houthis in the coming days, according to a report citing US officials.

The operation would aim to push Houthi forces out of areas along Yemen’s Red Sea coast that control access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The reported plan places the coastal approaches to the strait at the center of the planned fighting, with control of those areas identified as the offensive’s main objective.

The account did not give a precise launch date, identify the coastal locations being targeted or detail the forces expected to take part. It described preparations for an attack rather than an operation already under way.