Houthi Advance Near Bab el-Mandeb Strains Saudi Strategy

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman now faces an uphill battle to contain the fallout as international support remains tepid. Traditional partners in Washington and Europe have offered little beyond diplomatic rhetoric, leaving Riyadh to navigate the crisis largely alone. This isolation has pushed the Saudi leadership toward desperate regional outreach, including urgent consultations with Egyptian counterparts to secure maritime corridors against expanding Iranian influence. The failure to anticipate this offensive highlights the fragility of the Saudi-led coalition, which appears increasingly unable to maintain its grip on key Yemeni theaters. With the Houthis firmly entrenched in a vital global chokepoint, the kingdom’s broader defense strategy is fraying under the weight of sustained tactical defeats and a lack of coherent external backing.