Yemen Offensive Raises Stakes for Saudi–Houthi Conflict

Yemen’s renewed fighting is intensifying around strategically important territory, with the Houthis cutting a key supply route between Taiz and Aden as government forces expand operations and Saudi Arabia pledges “full operational support.” 

The battlefield developments give added significance to President Rashad al-Alimi’s announcement of military operations to regain Houthi-held territory and extend state institutions across the country. On Monday, al-Alimi named the campaign “Fajr al-Yemen” (“Dawn of Yemen”) and said it aimed to retake the capital Sanaa and restore state institutions.

He instructed the armed forces, security services, and all military formations to retake Houthi-held land. He said the rebels had responded to de-escalation efforts with mobilization and escalation, while offering amnesty to those who lay down their arms. 

President al-Alimi also expressed his gratitude to Saudi Arabia, as the Saudi-led coalition said it would continue to provide “full operational support” to Yemen’s armed forces and condemned Houthi threats to trade and regional security. 

“The Kingdom will remain a genuine partner in Yemen’s fate, security, stability, and peace, as well as that of the region,” he said. 

Yemeni state media reported dozens of operations against Houthi reinforcements around Tur al-Bahah and Taiz, using combat aircraft, drones, artillery, missiles, and snipers, as well as strikes against Houthi targets in Sanaa and Saada. The fighting follows Houthi gains around Taiz and along the Red Sea coast, including territory around the Bab al-Mandab Strait. 

Meanwhile, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed Saudi aircraft launched more than 100 strikes within 24 hours across Sanaa, Al-Jawf, Taiz, Amran, Hajjah, and Saada. He also claimed Houthi forces used locally produced surface-to-air missiles against Saudi aircraft over Taiz. 

The head of the Houthi-run Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, said amnesty would be available to fighters aligned with Saudi-backed forces if they stopped fighting. 

The reciprocal amnesty offers suggest both sides are combining military pressure with attempts to encourage defections from opposing forces. The government’s ambition to retake Houthi-held territory, combined with Saudi Arabia’s pledge of “full operational support,” suggests an effort to alter the military balance rather than contain the latest fighting. 

Operations around Taiz carry broader strategic significance because of the area’s position between northern and southern Yemen and its links toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical route for international shipping. Control of these routes could affect the government’s ability to move forces and supplies while determining whether the Houthis can consolidate their recent advances. 

Houthi claims of extensive Saudi airstrikes point to the possibility of deeper Saudi involvement as government forces attempt to regain territory. Whether the campaign produces sustained territorial gains—or instead intensifies direct Saudi–Houthi confrontation—will shape the next phase of Yemen’s conflict. (Agencies+EIR) 

🔴 Update

● U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Saudi Arabia and Yemeni forces do not want the Houthis to maintain control of the areas near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. He added, “What is happening now in Yemen is a counter-offensive to retake territory seized by the Houthis, and we anticipated this.” Rubio continued, “Saudi Arabia has been attacked by the Houthis and understands the threat they pose. It has the right to defend itself.” He added, “The United States has a binding security agreement with Saudi Arabia, and we intend to uphold it.”

● A Houthi-affiliated agency warned airlines against flying in Saudi airspace, asserting that Saudi airspace would not be safe. “Saudi airspace will be a theater for our armed forces’ operations,” the group’s Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center said.

● Yemeni Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani affirmed that the armed forces’ Operation “Dawn of Yemen” marked a new phase in the battle to restore the state and liberate all national territory from the Iran-backed Houthis, according to the Yemeni News Agency (SABA). Al-Eryani stated, “Recapturing the land, islands, and strategic locations in the Bab al-Mandab Strait directly contributes to protecting one of the world’s most important maritime routes and securing international trade and navigation, after the Houthis had turned it into a tool for blackmail and threats, linking the interests of Yemen and the Yemeni people to the agenda of the Iranian regime and the directives of the Revolutionary Guards.”

● Yemeni Armed Forces announced the start of a strategic offensive on Houthi-held Sanaa. Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesperson Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili on X said, “We are using modern capabilities in the strategic attack process.” Meanwhile, Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah television confirmed a Saudi attack on Sanaa. Houthi military Spokesman, Yahya Saree, said the Houthi rebels downed a Wing Loong 2 armed reconnaissance drone belonging to the Saudi forces while it was carrying out reconnaissance missions in Taiz Governorate.

● Yemeni government forces subsequently reported advances around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, including the seizure of key positions and large parts of Dhubab district. Military spokesman Brigadier General Majid Abdullah al-Nuzaili said the Southern Giants Brigades and Nation’s Shield forces carried out a flanking operation around Bab al-Mandab and took control of Dhubab airport. He also claimed hundreds of Houthi fighters were surrounded in the area, with some fleeing by boat. Separately, the military announced the start of what it described as a “strategic offensive” toward Sanaa, saying operations to retake the capital were now underway.