Saudi, Egyptian leaders discuss plan to push Houthis from Bab al-Mandab

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discussed possible military action against Yemen's Houthi rebels during talks on Tuesday, according to Egyptian media reports.

The discussions reportedly included the possibility of a land, air and sea offensive aimed at pushing the Houthis away from the strategic Bab al-Mandab strait, a key maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

According to the reports, the proposed objective would be to help keep Saudi ports and the Suez Canal operating safely by reducing the Houthis' presence around the strategic waterway.

The two leaders also discussed efforts to revive a broader Arab coalition that intervened militarily in Yemen in 2015 against the Houthis. The coalition included several Arab countries but has since fractured, with participating states pursuing differing interests in Yemen.The coalition included several Arab countries but has since fractured, with participating states pursuing differing interests in Yemen.

Exiled Egyptian media also reported that Cairo could seek to mediate between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, whose positions on Yemen have at times diverged despite their previous cooperation in the Saudi-led intervention.

Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing further steps against the Houthis, who are said to control the port city of Mokha and Mayyun Island near Bab al-Mandab.

The reported Saudi objective is to weaken the Houthis and remove them from strategically important areas that were previously held by forces backed by the UAE before their withdrawal from parts of Yemen.

GAROWE ONLINE