More than 100 US military advisers are in Saudi Arabia providing intelligence and targeting support for its campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, according to a CNN report published around September 10, 2026 that cites five anonymous sources. One US official put the total at roughly 200 troops.
The personnel work in a newly established joint forces command, formed in recent weeks as signs grew that Iran was stepping up its help to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. One official said the US helped Saudi officers use a targeting tool that shows the battlefield in real time, comparing it to the Pentagon’s Maven system. Another source described “geospatial” targeting support.
The sources stressed tight limits: the US is sharing intelligence but not taking part in strikes or refuelling Saudi aircraft, as it did in earlier fighting with the Houthis. The Pentagon said it does not comment on intelligence matters.
Fighting in Yemen is at its sharpest since 2022, and the Houthis recently seized a strategic Red Sea port. A US official said hundreds of Iranian Revolutionary Guard officers are believed to be in Yemen working with them. With US forces already stretched by the Iran war, officials are wary of being tied too closely to Saudi strikes, given past criticism over civilian casualties.
Sources: KEYT (CNN), Ynet.
