Saudi Arabia prepares for naval military action in Yemen and considers a ground invasion

Saudi Arabia is preparing for a broad military operation against the Houthis in Yemen, which may include an attack from the sea and even from land, reported the British newspaper The Guardian today, Friday, citing Yemeni sources. According to the report, the move is intended to break the Houthi grip on shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea and allow for the resumption of Saudi oil exports through the area. As part of the preparations, a withdrawal of Saudi forces from eastern Yemen was observed, a move that, according to assessments, may indicate preparations for a ground operation.

At the same time, Saudi Arabia is working to form an international maritime coalition that will protect vessels from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that 14 countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti, have issued a joint statement supporting the establishment of the multinational maritime force.

The Houthis, who are supported by Iran and control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and most of the country's coastline on the Red Sea, announced on July 20 that they are imposing a blockade on Saudi vessels. However, they denied reports that they intend to collect transit fees from vessels passing through the area.

According to the organization, the blockade will be lifted only after Saudi Arabia lifts the blockade it has imposed on Yemen. The Houthis present the confrontation as a struggle for the future of Yemen, and not as a conflict directly related to Iran. Saudi Arabia, for its part, intervened in the Yemeni civil war in 2015, alongside the UN-recognized government, in its fight against the Houthi rebels.