Riyadh is reported to be weighing military options against the Houthis, including a ground operation conducted by Yemeni government forces with Saudi air and logistical support, while simultaneously exploring de-escalation through Omani channels. The kingdom denies the talks and has not announced the operation. What follows is a set of observables that would distinguish … [Read more...] about Indicators and Warnings: What Would Signal a Saudi Ground Campaign in Yemen
Yemen
Yemen’s Ground War Is Restarting in Marib and Hadramout
The maritime campaign has drawn most of the attention, and it is the smaller half of what is happening. In early August, Houthi forces fired ballistic missiles from al-Jawf into government military camps in Hadramout and Marib, killing around thirty soldiers in a single strike, the deadliest such attack against Yemeni government forces in years. A follow-on barrage hit the same … [Read more...] about Yemen’s Ground War Is Restarting in Marib and Hadramout
Saudi Arabia Launched a 14-Nation Red Sea Coalition and Neither Washington Nor Brussels Joined
On 30 July, ten days after the Houthis declared their blockade, Riyadh announced a maritime coalition to protect Red Sea shipping alongside thirteen other states. The United States and the European Union were invited. Both stayed out. That absence is the most informative fact about the coalition. Why Washington did not join American naval capacity in the region is committed … [Read more...] about Saudi Arabia Launched a 14-Nation Red Sea Coalition and Neither Washington Nor Brussels Joined