Saudi Arabia struggles to rally allies for direct anti-Houthi campaign
Saudi Arabia has yet to secure the military support it requested from Western and regional countries as fighting between Ansar Allah (the Houthis) and Saudi-backed forces and Yemen’s government enters its third week along Yemen’s western coast and countryside. At the same time, Ansar Allah attacks on Saudi facilities continue, while Washington has so far refused to intervene directly.
The limited response so far has largely focused on defensive and logistical support rather than direct participation in offensive operations against Ansar Allah. Riyadh is still seeking broader military backing as the conflict threatens Saudi facilities and shipping routes in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb.
Last Thursday, the Associated Press reported, citing unnamed regional officials, that Saudi Arabia was facing a shortage of interceptor missiles and had asked Egypt, France, Britain, and Pakistan to deploy air defense support in the region to counter Ansar Allah missiles and drones.
Britain was the first country to announce a direct military response to Riyadh’s request. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain would provide Saudi Arabia with air defense support through a Royal Air Force Voyager aircraft to refuel Saudi aircraft in midair.
Under the agreement, which Burnham said would last for several weeks and remain under review, the move is intended to help protect British and regional interests and keep oil transport routes open.
France, meanwhile, signaled its readiness to help secure Saudi energy facilities in Yanbu and along the East-West pipeline, but stressed that its contribution would be “strictly defensive” and would not mean entering the war against Ansar Allah, according to AFP which cited an unnamed diplomatic source.
Together, the British and French positions point to a pattern of support focused on protecting Saudi Arabia, energy facilities and shipping, without either country announcing that it would join offensive operations against Ansar Allah.
Saudi Arabia has also asked Pakistan and Egypt for air defense support, but neither has announced a direct military commitment to confront Ansar Allah.
Turkey, which has defense arrangements with Saudi Arabia, has likewise not responded to a public military request and has limited its response to condemning the attacks on the kingdom and calling for de-escalation.
Ansar Allah leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, meanwhile, warned Turkey and Pakistan against providing support to Saudi Arabia. In a televised speech on Monday, he said, “The Saudi enemy wants to bring in the Turks and Pakistanis, pleading with them night and day to join it in the sin and aggression against our dear people.”
“We advise the Turks and Pakistanis not to get involved in the political and material gains of the Saudi enemy,” he continued, adding that his group wanted to halt what it called “aggression” and end the blockade, while calling on its supporters in Sanaa to continue mobilization and build up military and security capabilities.
Washington: Support without intervention
The US position is the key factor in Riyadh’s calculations. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman asked President Donald Trump for US military assistance against the Houthis, but Washington told Riyadh that it did not intend to carry out direct military action for now, while remaining willing to provide intelligence and targeting support.
That approach was reinforced when Trump spoke by phone with Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi about the developments, without committing to direct military support against the Houthis.
NBC reported, citing unnamed US officials, that Trump had not ruled out military action against Ansar Allah in the future, while military officials at the Pentagon were divided over whether intervention would be worthwhile.
Some military commanders, according to the network, believe Washington should help Saudi Arabia respond to Ansar Allah attacks, while others warn that opening another front could increase pressure on the US military as defensive and long-range weapons stocks decline.
Bab Al-Mandeb crisis widens
The consequences of the fighting extend beyond Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Ansar Allah control of parts of Yemen’s western coast has become a direct concern for Europe because of its potential impact on shipping in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the European Aspides naval mission needs more than 10 warships to deal with the current level of threat, while only six ships are currently in the region.
Kallas said the situation had become more dangerous since the mission was launched, noting that Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast put the group in a better position to threaten maritime trade, with consequences for European interests and global supply chains.
Italy, one of the main participants in Aspides, announced that it was preparing its own naval mission after concluding that developments did not allow it to wait for broader European action.
That came as the G7 condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and called on the group to halt all military operations. It also urged Iran to stop arming and supporting the Houthis, saying continued escalation threatened international trade and global stability.
Despite the condemnation of Ansar Allah and the limited defensive assistance Saudi Arabia has received, Riyadh is still awaiting a broader response to its military request. As the group’s attacks intensify and pressure on shipping in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb grows, Riyadh’s allies face a difficult balance between supporting the kingdom and avoiding direct involvement in a conflict that could expand across the region.
What options does Riyadh have?
With foreign military support limited, Saudi Arabia’s options are increasingly centered on using its own capabilities while seeking additional defensive assistance and intelligence from allies. An analysis published by Al Jazeera outlines several possible approaches.
These include continuing to rely on its own military capabilities, particularly its air force and air defense systems, alongside the Yemeni forces it supports, while potentially carrying out limited military operations rather than entering a full-scale war.
The analysis says Saudi Arabia could also combine military and political tools to pressure and deter Ansar Allah instead of relying on a broad military campaign. This comes as a military solution to the conflict remains difficult and the risks of widening the confrontation could threaten Saudi economic interests and oil export routes.
Riyadh could also make use of intelligence provided by Washington to direct strikes that would allow allied forces to advance and gain ground against the Yemeni group, while pressuring friendly countries to provide air defense systems to reduce the impact of Ansar Allah attacks.