Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia launched a counter-offensive against the Houthis on Sunday in a bid to regain territory from the rebel group, the head of Yemen’s presidential council said in a speech.
- “We have exhausted all possibilities of de-escalation with the Houthi militias,” Rashad al-Alimi said.
Why it’s important: One of the main objectives of the operation is to regain control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital artery for global trade and Saudi oil exports.
- When the Houthis took control of territory on the Red Sea coast near the strait, it gave them — and Iran, which supports them — powerful leverage over the United States, its Gulf allies and the global economy.
- Despite calls from Saudi Arabia, the United States is not currently getting involved in direct combat against the Houthis. It provides intelligence and targeting support, U.S. officials say.
Driving the news: The counter-offensive has been planned for many weeks by Yemen’s internationally recognized government and Saudi Arabia.
- Tens of thousands of ground troops loyal to the Yemeni government are participating.
- The Saudi military primarily provides air cover to Yemeni forces and carries out airstrikes against Houthi targets.
- The objective is to retake the Yemeni capital Sanaa, under Houthi control for several years.
- The Houthis continued to launch missiles at Saudi targets over the weekend, including at facilities of state oil giant Aramco.
The plot: President Trump is torn between wanting to help Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his friend and ally, and avoiding getting entangled in a new front in the Middle East.
- U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also had serious reservations about launching strikes in Yemen, seeing it as a distraction from its focus on Iran, a U.S. official said.
- On Thursday, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman called Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to inform him of the planned operation and to again request U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets, the official said.
- One second A U.S. official said the United States was “not going to take kinetic action at this time” but stressed that could change if the operation encountered problems.
What to watch: Top members of Trump’s Cabinet met for hours at Camp David on Friday to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the Yemen conflict, Axios first reported.
- It is unclear whether the meeting ended with any new policy recommendations to the president regarding Yemen.
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