Saudi Arabia plans a 100,000-troop Yemen offensive to retake Bab el-Mandeb, but Washington refused airstrikes twice. The kill-chain gap has no solution. October 4, 2026 RIYADH — Saudi Arabia is preparing a ground offensive of more than 100,000 troops to retake the Bab el-Mandeb strait from Houthi forces — the first major unilateral Saudi military operation since the Yemen war began in 2015 — after Washington refused, for a second time in recent weeks, to provide the airstrikes that Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman personally requested from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. The refusal removes the three operational enablers — … Continue reading Who Closes the Kill Chain When the Americans Say No?