Saudi Arabia may be planning sea, land assault on Houthis, Yemeni sources claim – report

Yemeni sources informed The Guardian on Thursday that Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing for a significant sea and potential land assault against the Houthis. This offensive aims to alleviate the Houthi's control over Red Sea oil shipping. Troop movements within Yemen suggest a possible attack on al-Bayda, a central southern governorate captured by the Houthis in 2020-21.

• Concurrently, Saudi Arabia announced plans for a multinational maritime defense coalition to protect international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea.
• Representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended a meeting to discuss the proposed coalition, with Saudi Arabia as its founding and leading state.
• The coalition's objectives include strengthening maritime security, safeguarding navigation freedom, and securing trade routes in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden.
• Fourteen countries, including Turkey and Egypt, issued a joint statement supporting the initiative, though Oman and the UAE were not listed among the Gulf Arab states backing it.