Saudi Arabia Weighs Ground Campaign Against Houthis in Red Sea
Saudi Arabia is weighing whether to back a Yemeni ground campaign to retake the Red Sea coast from the Houthi movement, an offensive that would test forces Riyadh has spent seven months assembling out of rival Yemeni militias.
The decision comes after ballistic missiles hit the commercial vessel Tihama on Tuesday in Bab-el-Mandeb, killing four crew members and raising concerns about the safety of oil tankers passing through the strait.
The Houthis, backed by Iran, control the Red Sea shore facing Saudi Arabia and have been launching attacks against Saudi targets, including a drone strike on an Aramco refinery in southern Saudi Arabia last month.
Nadwa Al-Dawsari, a Yemeni conflict analyst, said that Saudi Arabia is keeping its options open and taking steps to ensure it enters any confrontation with the Houthis from a stronger position.