The United States has twice declined Saudi requests to join a planned Saudi–Yemeni offensive to retake the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, though it continues to provide intelligence and targeting support. The operation, expected within weeks, would be led by Yemeni ground forces with Saudi air support and could mobilize over 100,000 troops depending on scope. Washington says it "is not going to take kinetic action for now," while regional and European partners offer mostly defensive aid. Saudi planners are weighing a narrow coastal assault or a broader, multi-front campaign.
U.S. Repeatedly Declines Saudi Request to Join Offensive as Riyadh Plans Push to Reclaim Bab el-Mandeb
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Summary: Saudi Arabia and forces loyal to Yemen's internationally recognized government are preparing a major operation to dislodge Iranian-backed Houthi fighters and retake control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The United States has twice declined Saudi requests to participate directly with airstrikes, though it continues to supply intelligence and targeting support.
What Happened
Saudi and Yemeni government forces are planning a large-scale offensive aimed at regaining strategic coastal areas and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital Red Sea chokepoint. Axios reported that the U.S. has twice refused Saudi requests to join the operation and carry out airstrikes, while U.S. officials say that stance could change if the operation falters.
Operational Details and Scale
According to Reuters, which cited multiple people familiar with the planning, the assault is expected to begin in the coming weeks and would be led on the ground by Yemeni forces with Saudi air support. Depending on its scope, more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized. Saudi planners are reportedly weighing either a focused assault to retake the approaches to Bab el-Mandeb or a broader multi-front campaign across governorates including Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.
Why Bab el-Mandeb Matters
Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and is a crucial transit route for global trade and energy shipments between the Mediterranean and Asia. Control of the strait carries strategic and economic implications, especially amid wider regional tensions that have affected other key waterways.
U.S. Role and Regional Support
U.S. officials told Axios the United States is providing substantial non-kinetic assistance: intelligence sharing, targeting data and operational support short of direct combat. One U.S. official said Washington supplied Saudi planners with more than 200 Houthi targets in recent weeks, and subsequent strikes on those coordinates increased pressure on the group. Reuters also reported that several regional partners and some European countries are supplying primarily defensive military aid to Saudi Arabia but are not expected to participate directly in frontline combat.
U.S. officials told Axios the U.S. "is not going to take kinetic action for now."
Political and Military Context
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015 to back the internationally recognized government after Houthi forces captured Sanaa. A U.N.-brokered truce in 2022 briefly reduced large-scale hostilities, but fighting has resurged this year as the Houthis launched missile and drone strikes against Saudi shipping and energy infrastructure. U.S. Central Command has expressed concerns that strikes in Yemen could distract from U.S. priorities focused on Iran.
What Comes Next
Plans have reportedly been approved by Saudi leadership and could be implemented in the coming weeks. The operation's progress and any request for expanded U.S. participation may hinge on battlefield developments. Observers and regional partners will be watching how Saudi-Yemeni forces proceed and whether the offensive successfully reverses recent Houthi gains along the coast.
Sources: Axios, Reuters.
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