## Overview of the Saudi-led Coalition The **Saudi-led coalition** is a multinational military alliance formed in March 2015, spearheaded by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in response to the ousting of Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi by Houthi rebels[1][3]. The coalition’s core mission was to restore Hadi’s government, counter the advance of the Houthi movement (which it viewed as an Iranian proxy), and stabilize Yemen amid escalating civil war[1][2][3]. At its inception, the coalition included nine to ten Arab states and received logistical and intelligence support from the United States and other Western allies[1][3]. ## History and Operations The intervention began with **Operation Decisive Storm**, a massive air campaign targeting Houthi positions and Yemen’s military infrastructure, followed by a land, sea, and air blockade to enforce a UN arms embargo[1][3]. Ground forces, including Saudi, Emirati, and Sudanese troops, were later deployed to support Yemeni resistance fighters[1]. The coalition retook key cities like Aden and Mukalla, and trained southern Yemeni militias that later formed the Southern Transitional Council[1]. Despite these efforts, the conflict quickly became a protracted proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, with devastating humanitarian consequences[3][7]. ## Key Achievements and Challenges The coalition’s most notable achievement was halting the Houthi-Saleh alliance’s territorial expansion, particularly their advance into southern Yemen[2]. However, the intervention failed to decisively defeat the Houthis or restore the Yemeni government’s authority over the entire country[2]. The war caused widespread destruction, thousands of civilian casualties, and one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, displacing millions and crippling Yemen’s infrastructure[7]. The coalition’s blockade and airstrikes drew international criticism for