Saudi Arabia is preparing a large-scale operation against the Houthis in Yemen — The Guardian

Saudi Arabia is preparing for a major military operation against the Yemeni Houthis, which may include naval operations and a possible ground offensive. 

According to Yemeni sources, troops are concentrating for a possible offensive toward the province of Al-Bayda, which the Houthis captured in 2020–2021.

At the same time, Riyadh announced the formation of an international maritime coalition to protect shipping and energy routes in the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. Fourteen countries have already expressed support for the initiative, including Turkey, Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, and Djibouti. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Italy have also been invited to participate.

One of the reasons for Saudi Arabia’s increased activity is the threat to its oil exports. On July 20, the Houthis announced a naval blockade of ships linked to the kingdom and later claimed to have carried out attacks on oil tankers and oil infrastructure. At the same time, reports of preparations for a ground offensive are currently based solely on information from Yemeni sources.

Source: The Guardian.

Prior to this, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi held telephone conversations with the foreign ministers of Bulgaria and Cyprus, warning them against making their infrastructure available to support U.S. military operations. 

Iran has reached an agreement with China to supply up to 400 man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) to strengthen its air defense system, according to Reuters.

Following an attack on one of its merchant ships in the Caspian Sea, Iran considered launching a symbolic missile strike against one of Ukraine’s seaports. However, Tehran ultimately abandoned this plan following diplomatic contacts with Western partners and Ukraine.