US Backs Major Saudi-Backed Yemeni Military Offensive As Country Slides Toward Full-Scale War

Asia Times•Published: Oct 5, 2026 02:51 AM IST

Yemen is spiraling back toward full-scale war as its Saudi-backed government launched a major military offensive to retake territory captured by the Iran-backed Houthi movement. President Rashad al-Alimi announced that armed forces will seek to liberate all Houthi-controlled areas, prompting immediate retaliatory missile and drone strikes by the group against Saudi Aramco facilities.

Military Buildup: The Yemeni government could potentially mobilize up to 100,000 troops in what marks one of the largest military buildups since the 2022 truce.
US Support: While President Donald Trump previously rebuffed direct airstrike requests, US officials confirmed the military is supplying Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data.
Houthi Retaliation: In response to Saudi air and missile attacks, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at strategic Saudi Aramco oil facilities, including one near Riyadh.

The Context & Background

This fresh escalation shatters a fragile truce that had largely held since 2022 following an eight-year civil war, which the UN estimates caused hundreds of thousands of deaths. The renewed hostilities have already displaced more than 149,000 people and placed over 18 million Yemenis at severe risk of acute food insecurity.

Why it matters:The renewed conflict threatens to reignite one of the world's worst humanitarian crises while further destabilizing critical global shipping lanes and Middle East energy infrastructure. Active US intelligence backing for the Saudi campaign signals a major escalation in regional tensions involving Iran and its proxies.

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