Yemeni and Saudi forces launch counteroffensive against the Houthis

Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia launched a counteroffensive against the Houthis on Sunday in an effort to win back territory from the rebel group, the head of Yemen's presidential council said in a speech.

• "We have exhausted all opportunities for deescalation with the Houthi militias," Rashad al-Alimi said.

Why it matters: One of the key objectives of the operation is to regain control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital artery for global trade and Saudi oil exports.

• When the Houthis took over territory on the Red Sea coast close to the strait, it gave them — and Iran, which backs them — powerful leverage over the U.S., its Gulf allies and the world economy.

• Despite pleas from Saudi Arabia, the U.S. is not getting involved in direct combat against the Houthis for now. It is providing intelligence and targeting support, U.S. officials say.

Driving the news: The counteroffensive has been planned for many weeks by Yemen's internationally recognized government and Saudi Arabia.

• Tens of thousands of ground troops loyal to the Yemeni government are participating.
• The Saudi military is mainly providing air cover for Yemeni forces and conducting airstrikes against Houthi targets.
• The goal is to retake the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control for several years.
• The Houthis continued launching missiles at Saudi targets over the weekend, including at facilities of state-owned oil giant Aramco.

The intrigue: President Trump is caught between wanting to help Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, his friend and ally, and avoiding getting entangled in a new front in the Middle East.

• U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) also had serious reservations about launching strikes in Yemen, viewing it as a distraction from its focus on Iran, a U.S. official said.
• On Thursday, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman called Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to brief him on the planned operation and ask again for U.S. airstrikes against Houthi targets, the official said.
• A second U.S. official said that the U.S. "is not going to take kinetic action for now," but stressed that could change if the operation runs into problems.

What to watch: On Friday, Trump's top cabinet members huddled for hours at Camp David to discuss next steps in the Iran war and the conflict in Yemen, Axios first reported.

• It's unclear whether the meeting ended with new policy recommendations for the president regarding Yemen.