Saudi Arabia prepares major military offensive against Houthis in Yemen
Saudi Arabia is preparing a major military offensive against Houthi forces in Yemen to break a Red Sea shipping blockade threatening its oil exports. As the Houthis target Saudi Aramco facilities and commercial vessels, Riyadh is mobilizing a 14-state maritime coalition and seeking Western naval support. Meanwhile, diplomatic talks between Oman and Iran continue in an effort to reopen the blocked Strait of Hormuz and ease regional tensions.
Saudi military offensive preparations
▪Saudi forces have been seen withdrawing from eastern Yemen, which sources believe could be preparation for a land offensive targeting al-Bayda governorate.
▪Saudi Arabia is preparing for a major military offensive against the Houthis by sea and potentially by land in central Yemen to break a blockade on its oil exports.
Houthi Red Sea blockade
▪The Houthis announced on July 20, 2026, that they were implementing a blockade against Saudi ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab strait.
▪The Houthis stated they will lift their blockade once Saudi Arabia lifts its own blockade on Yemen.
Multinational naval coalition formation
▪Saudi Arabia has requested the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Italy to join a Red Sea naval coalition.
▪The Saudi defence ministry announced on July 30, 2026, that 14 states, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti, support a multinational maritime defence coalition.
Saudi oil export vulnerabilities
▪More than half of Saudi Arabia's oil is transported overland to loading terminals at Yanbu on the Red Sea due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
▪If both the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea routes are closed, Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports will be severely constrained.
Recent Saudi-Houthi strikes escalation
▪Saudi airstrikes targeted Houthi-controlled sites in the port of Hodeidah following attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities and a third Saudi commercial vessel.
▪Houthi forces claimed on July 25, 2026, that they hit sensitive Saudi Aramco oil transport sites linking eastern province oilfields to the Red Sea.
Iran-Oman Hormuz Strait negotiations
▪Negotiations are continuing between Oman and Iran, with Iran demanding that all shipping enter the Strait of Hormuz through a northern route close to Iran's coast.
▪An agreement between Gulf states and Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz would reduce military tensions inside Yemen.
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