Reuters: Saudi Arabia Weighs Houthi Offensive to Retake Bab el-Mandeb as Political Track Emerges

Saudi Arabia and Houthis are entering a potentially pivotal phase in Yemen after Reuters reported that Riyadh is considering military options led by Yemeni ground forces and backed by Saudi air power, with regaining control around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait a central objective.

The plans have not been publicly announced by Saudi Arabia, and neither their scale nor timing has been finalized. Reuters said Saudi and Yemeni government spokespeople, the Houthi group and the U.S. military did not immediately comment on the preparations described by six officials and diplomats familiar with the matter.

Bab el-Mandeb moves to the center of Saudi Arabia and Houthis  calculations

According to Reuters, Saudi officials are considering two broad options: a narrowly focused operation around Bab el-Mandeb or a wider campaign involving synchronized fronts in Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.

More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized depending on the scale of the operation, the sources said. Estimates for when any offensive might begin ranged from the near term to after the U.S. midterm elections in early November.

The strait is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and a critical trade route linking Asia with the Mediterranean. Its importance has increased as disruption around the Strait of Hormuz has placed additional pressure on regional shipping and energy flows.

The development also comes as fuel markets are already dealing with severe supply pressures amid the global diesel crisis and growing concerns over emergency inventories.

A parallel political option takes shape in Riyadh

At the same time, a diplomatic track is emerging. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Iran had suggested political engagement with the Houthis and that a committee involving Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan would discuss the idea at an emergency meeting in Riyadh next week.

Dar stressed that the proposal was not a formal written offer, describing it instead as an idea discussed between the Iranian and Pakistani foreign ministers that could be considered as an alternative to military action.

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are members of the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed in August, while their military chiefs met in Riyadh in September as tensions with the Houthis intensified.

Fighting is already escalating inside Yemen

The discussion over a larger campaign comes as fighting on the ground is intensifying. A spokesperson for Yemen’s internationally recognized government said on October 2 that warplanes had carried out 20 strikes over three hours against Houthi personnel, movements, vehicles and military equipment in Taiz province.

Saudi Arabia has also said an investigation found the Houthis responsible for a September 29 drone attack on an electricity distribution station in Medina. The strike knocked one transformer out of service without disrupting the electricity network. A Houthi military source quoted by the group’s Saba news agency denied responsibility.

Reuters also reported, citing a Western diplomat, that Washington is providing intelligence and military advisers in support of Saudi air operations. Saudi allies, however, are not expected to take a direct combat role in the planned ground campaign, according to the sources.

Humanitarian and economic risks extend beyond Yemen

The military escalation is unfolding alongside a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation. The World Food Programme said the share of households without sufficient food in accessible government-held areas had climbed to 74%, while tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the renewed fighting.

WFP said it needs about $109 million within weeks to maintain assistance for 152,000 newly displaced people as well as 1.4 million people it is already supporting.

The agency also warned that further disruption at Bab el-Mandeb, combined with problems at the Strait of Hormuz and in the Black Sea, could increase global food and fuel prices. The wider regional and market backdrop was also tracked in the Profile News Daily Report for October 1, 2026.

What remains unresolved?

There is still no official Saudi announcement confirming the launch, timetable or final scope of a new offensive. The key question is whether Riyadh moves from military planning to implementation, or whether the upcoming talks in the Saudi capital create space for a political route before a broader operation begins.

Sources

Reuters — Saudi military planning and Bab el-Mandeb — October 2, 2026.

Reuters — Riyadh meeting and proposed political engagement — October 2, 2026.

Reuters — Taiz strikes and escalation in Yemen — October 2, 2026.

Reuters — WFP humanitarian assessment — October 2, 2026.

Saudi Press Agency — Saudi coalition statement on the Medina power station incident — October 1, 2026.