US could join Saudi-Yemen war against Houthis if upcoming large-scale offensive goes south - report

Saudi Arabia asked the US whether it would provide aerial support during the operation, but it was refused twice over the past few weeks. 

The US could join Saudi Arabia’s operation against the Houthis should it go south, despite several previous refusals, Axios reported on Friday, citing American officials.

The operation, expected to be launched in the coming weeks in response to the increased assault by the terrorist organization on Saudi Arabia as well as its storming of Bab al-Mandab, will be led by Saudi-backed Yemeni forces on the ground and supported by Saudi air strikes.

Over the past few weeks, Saudi Arabia has asked the US whether it would provide aerial support during the operation, but the US refused twice.

A key objective of the planned Saudi offensive is aimed at reversing the rapid gains made by the Houthis last month when they advanced down the coast and seized control of the Bab al-Mandab strait, people with knowledge of the plans, including Gulf and Yemeni officials and Western diplomats, told Reuters.

Two possible options for the assault are currently being weighed: Either a narrowly focused attack on the area around Bab al-Mandab or a broader offensive that also includes other synchronized attacks on multiple fronts around Yemen, in the governorates of Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz and Al-Jawf.

Over 1,000 troops could be mobilized

More than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilized in the offensive, depending on the scale, the officials all said.

Riyadh has concluded it cannot enter new Yemeni peace negotiations with the Houthis while they remain in control of Bab al-Mandab, giving them significant global leverage, the Western diplomats and a Gulf official said.

Michael Ratney, a former US ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said he expected an offensive to be narrowly focused and certainly more modest in scope than the Saudi-led operation in 2015 that sought to rout the militants.

"As much as they want to vanquish the Houthis completely, they also need to get back to status quo ante before the Houthis controlled territory along Bab al-Mandab," he added. "Ideally, it would be a fairly limited operation to retake coastal areas and get back to normal maritime traffic."