A Saudi-led coalition geared up on Tuesday for an assault on Yemen's main port, preparing to launch by far the biggest battle of a three-year-old war between an alliance of Arab states and the Houthi movement that controls Yemen's capital.
The United Arab Emirates, one of the main members of the Western-backed alliance, has set a Tuesday deadline for the Iran-aligned Houthis to withdraw from the port of Hodeidah under U.N.-led negotiations or face an assault.
Here we go.
Note that the article also mentions the motivation to protect Red Sea shipping lanes, which as I've noted provides one alternative for oil exports from the Gulf if the Strait of Hormuz is too dangerous.
UPDATE: Strategypage discusses the offensive that kicked off. A lot of firepower is available to the Saudi side, but an amphibious assault on the port failed.
