Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched Operation Dawn of Yemen in early October 2026, explicitly aiming to liberate Sanaa from Houthi control after the rebels seized additional coastal territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Riyadh has supplied extensive air support, including strikes on Sanaa province targets, weapons depots, and naval assets, alongside naval operations, while affirming full operational backing for ground advances. Recent reported gains remain concentrated along the Red Sea coast around Mocha and Dhubab, with limited confirmed progress toward the capital itself. Houthi forces have retaliated with missile and drone strikes on Saudi sites, sustaining the cycle of escalation that shapes trader assessments of any direct Saudi troop movement into Sanaa.