Saudi Arabia officially attacked the Houthis – but does it have a plan of action?

Saudi Arabia has officially joined the campaign against the Houthis in a joint operation with the Yemeni army, involving 100 Saudi fighter jets covering ground forces. However, researchers assess that the Yemeni government and Saudi Arabia lack a cohesive plan for managing the campaign, and that the Houthis maintain initiative on the ground.

Saudi Arabia has officially joined the military campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, in a joint operation with the Yemeni army called 'Dawn of Yemen'. According to the coalition's statement, 100 Saudi fighter jets covered Yemeni ground forces in fighting that took place in the early morning hours. The move comes after weeks of escalation, following the Yemeni government's declaration of war on the Houthi terrorist organization. However, researchers at the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies question the Yemeni government's ability to manage the campaign. They argue that the government lacks initiative in determining the location and timing of the campaign, and has yet to come to terms with the loss of the western coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Saudi side has also faced criticism: according to the researcher, Riyadh prefers to contain the escalation rather than push to open all fronts at once. Meanwhile, the Yemeni government is busy maintaining the city of Taiz, whose capture by the Houthis would be a severe blow and bring the organization closer to the capital Aden.