Saudi Arabia prepares military operations as Houthis resume strikes on territory, shipping

Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing for potential military operations against Yemen's Houthis, following a breakdown in calm along the border and renewed Houthi strikes on Saudi territory and shipping. While troop movements and discussions about an operation in Al-Bayda have been noted, Saudi Arabia has not publicly announced a ground offensive. The Houthis ended a four-year lull in cross-border exchanges on July 13 by firing missiles towards southern Saudi Arabia and later announced a maritime blockade, claiming attacks on Saudi oil tankers.

• Cyril Widdershoven, a senior advisor at Blue Water Strategy, stated that a new Saudi campaign would likely be a "Saudi-enabled Yemeni offensive, possibly supported by small numbers of Saudi personnel in command, intelligence, artillery, air-defense, engineering, and special-forces roles," rather than a large-scale Saudi invasion.
• Possible operational axes include pressuring Houthis through Al-Bayda, renewed pressure from Marib, or focusing on the Red Sea coast to restrict Houthi access to ports and infrastructure.
• The objective of such an operation is coercive, aiming to alter the military balance and force the Houthis back to negotiations, rather than achieving complete territorial conquest.
• Abdulghani Al-Iryani, a senior researcher at the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, expressed skepticism about the immediate likelihood of a ground campaign, citing the unpreparedness of Yemeni government forces for offensive action.