Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi has announced a major military operation to recapture territory held by the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and restore the government’s authority across the country.
In a televised address, Mr al-Alimi said: “Today, I announce the start of military operations to retake the remaining territory of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory.”
The announcement comes after a period of renewed fighting between the Houthis and forces aligned with Yemen’s Saudi-backed government. Hostilities had largely stopped following a truce in 2022, but have since resumed amid the wider conflict between Iran and the United States.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015, leading an Arab coalition in support of the internationally recognised government after the Houthis drove it from the capital, Sanaa.
The Houthi movement declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in July and began attacks on Saudi territory and shipping. Its forces have also made significant advances along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, prompting Saudi air strikes and support for government forces attempting to push them back.
Regional officials had previously said Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies were preparing a counteroffensive, with Saudi forces expected to lead the aerial campaign while Yemeni troops fought on the ground.
Despite those preparations, the Houthis have continued to hold the initiative. They seized the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait in a rapid offensive down the coast, during which government forces collapsed.
The strait forms the southern entrance to the Red Sea and is a key shipping route between the Mediterranean and Asia. It has gained further importance this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by the conflict involving Iran.
In the past 48 hours, Houthi forces have also gained ground against government and local fighters on strategic hilltops near Taiz, military sources said. Their advance threatens the last road linking the city with Aden, where Yemen’s Saudi-backed government is based.
