US Expands Intelligence and Targeting Support for Saudi Campaign Against Houthis
2 sources across 2 countries · Brazil · United States
Who reported this
- CNN Brasil
- CNN
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.
Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.
The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.
More than 100 US military advisers are currently on the ground in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting support for the Kingdom's military campaign against the Iran backed Houthis in Yemen. According to multiple sources familiar with the operation, the total number of troops is estimated at roughly 200. These personnel are part of a newly established joint forces command created in recent weeks following indications that Iran was increasing its efforts to assist Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.
US officials have provided Saudi Arabia with geospatial targeting support and a tool that allows military officers to view battlefield events in real time, which one official compared to the Pentagon's Maven system. Despite this expansion, sources state there are strict limits on the support. The US is not participating directly in strikes, nor is it providing operational support such as refueling warplanes, as it has done in previous conflicts.
The increased assistance follows a period of intensified fighting, the sharpest since 2022, and the Houthi seizure of a strategic Red Sea port. This development threatens the Bab el Mandeb strait, a critical shipping corridor. US officials believe hundreds of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officers are currently in Yemen working with the Houthis to potentially shut down this waterway.
This current effort is described as an extension of existing cooperation and training. However, the operation is overshadowed by previous US targeting support during the Obama and first Trump administrations, which critics argue led to high civilian casualties. Additionally, a campaign against the Houthis during Trump's second term ended in an abrupt ceasefire after General Dan Caine expressed concerns regarding the lack of a clear exit strategy.
A Department of Defense official declined to comment, citing the practice of not discussing intelligence matters. The Saudi Arabian embassy in Washington was also contacted for comment.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- The reporting emphasized the geopolitical context of the US war with Iran and the risk of the conflict spilling over into proxy wars.
- Centre
- The reporting focused on the operational details of the intelligence support and the strategic threat to maritime routes.
Sources
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.