Saudi Arabia prepares for offensive against Houthis; Mecca pact allies still missing

Saudi Arabia is preparing an offensive against Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, with Riyadh weighing a limited coastal assault around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait or a broader multi-front operation.According to Reuters, the offensive could be launched in the coming weeks and would be led by Yemeni forces and backed by Saudi air strikes.The report, citing six people familiar with the preparations, said more than 100,000 Yemeni troops could be mobilised depending on the scale of the operation, while the timing remains uncertain, with estimates ranging from within a week to after the US midterm elections in early November.The immediate objective of the planned offensive is to reverse the Houthis' rapid gains last month, when the group advanced down Yemen's Red Sea coast and seized control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to people familiar with the Saudi preparations cited by Reuters.Bab el-Mandeb is the southern exit of the Red Sea…