The United States has increased its intelligence and targeting assistance to Saudi Arabia as the Kingdom steps up military operations against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, CNN reports.
More than 100 US military advisers are currently in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting support, according to five sources familiar with the operations.
One US official, however, estimated that about 200 American troops are involved in the newly established joint forces command.
The sources said the US military has assisted Saudi forces with a targeting system that provides commanders with real-time battlefield information.
Another source said Washington was also providing “geospatial” targeting support for Saudi strikes against the Houthis.
However, the US role remains limited, with American forces not directly participating in attacks.
The United States is also not refuelling Saudi aircraft or providing other operational assistance, unlike in previous campaigns against the Houthis.
One source said the current effort is intended to help Saudi Arabia conduct its military operations more effectively and professionally.
The sources described the support as an extension of existing US-Saudi military cooperation and training.
A US Department of Defense official declined to provide details about the assistance, saying, “as a matter of practice we do not comment on intelligence-related matters.”
The increased support comes amid renewed fighting between the Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces, with tensions reportedly reaching their highest level since a fragile truce took effect in 2022.
The Houthis recently seized a strategic Red Sea port and carried out missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia that killed dozens of civilians, raising concerns that the conflict could threaten the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global shipping route connecting the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean.
US officials believe hundreds of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps officers are currently in Yemen working with the Houthis, with the aim of eventually helping the group shut down the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.
US officials are also wary of becoming too closely associated with the Saudi campaign because of criticism surrounding American targeting assistance to Riyadh during previous administrations, when strikes resulted in significant civilian casualties.
“This is not the old days,” one source said, reflecting the military’s caution over deeper involvement in the Saudi-Houthi conflict.
