Saudi Arabia is preparing for a major attack against the Houthis by sea and possibly over land, Yemeni sources told The Guardian on Thursday.
According to the sources, the attack is intended to break the chokehold the Houthis currently have on oil shipping in the Red Sea.
Troop movements within Yemen indicated that an attack could be made against al-Bayda, a governorate in central southern Yemen which was captured by the Houthis in 2020-21, the sources claimed.
Saudi Arabia announces Red Sea defense coalition
Also on Thursday, Saudi Arabia unveiled plans for a multinational maritime defense coalition aimed at protecting international shipping and energy supply routes in the Red Sea region after attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis disrupted one of the world's busiest trade corridors.
The Saudi defense ministry said representatives from 43 countries and the European Union attended an international meeting that discussed the proposed coalition, including Saudi Arabia serving as its founding and leading state and hosting its headquarters.
The ministry said the coalition would strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation, secure international trade routes and energy supply lines, and protect shared maritime interests in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
It said 14 countries, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti, issued a joint statement supporting the proposed coalition. Among the six Gulf Arab states, Oman and the United Arab Emirates were not listed among the countries backing the statement.