Yemen’s internationally recognized government has launched a major military offensive to recapture areas controlled by the Iran-backed Houthis, signaling a significant escalation in the protracted conflict. This move comes as the Houthis claim to have launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities, adding another layer to the regional tensions. The intensified fighting threatens to worsen the already severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen, with millions facing food insecurity.
Yemen's internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, announced on Sunday the commencement of a significant military operation aimed at reclaiming all territories held by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. President Rashad al-Alimi declared in a televised address that the nation's armed forces would pursue this offensive relentlessly "until the country is liberated from the grip of the terrorist militia." A military spokesperson subsequently urged the Houthis to surrender their arms.
The Houthi movement, formally known as Ansar Allah, has controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and substantial portions of the northwest, where the majority of the population resides, since 2014. Despite facing numerous offensives over the years from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and their Western allies, the Houthis have managed to sustain their control and have reportedly enhanced their arsenal with Iranian assistance.
The Houthis recently launched a surprise advance, capturing the strategically vital Bab el-Mandeb strait and approximately 150 kilometers (90 miles) of Red Sea coastline within weeks. This move has significantly bolstered the Houthis' position concerning the critical international shipping route. This expansion also signifies a new front in the broader US-Israeli conflict initiated in February against Iran, to which Tehran's response has included disruptions to oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula.
Houthis Claim Strikes on Saudi Arabia
Coinciding with the Yemeni government's announcement, the Houthis reported launching ballistic missiles and drones targeting Saudi Aramco facilities in Riyadh and the Khurais region of Saudi Arabia. They asserted that these attacks resulted in significant fires and were a retaliatory measure against what they described as 50 Saudi-led air and missile strikes within Yemen over the preceding 12 hours. Saudi Arabia has yet to confirm these claims.
President Alimi stated that the decision to launch the counteroffensive was made after all avenues for de-escalating the conflict had been exhausted. He expressed gratitude for Saudi Arabia's support and appealed to Yemen's regional allies and international partners for assistance to the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) forces and institutions.
Earlier this week, regional and Western officials had informed Reuters that Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies were planning an assault on the Houthis, with Saudi Arabia spearheading aerial operations and Yemeni forces engaged in ground combat.
New Front in Middle East War
The United States is reportedly providing intelligence support for Riyadh's operations in Yemen, while several regional and European nations are supplying the kingdom with primarily defensive military aid, according to six individuals familiar with the Saudi preparations. The ongoing conflict involving the US against Iran has led to the decimation of some Iranian military and political leadership but has also drawn Washington into a new Middle Eastern engagement and depleted critical military hardware.
Yemen has been embroiled in conflict for years, characterized by a complex interplay of local armed groups and factions supported by competing regional and international powers. Following a popular uprising linked to the Arab Spring movements in 2011, the Houthis, an armed group of Zaidi Shi'ite Muslims, seized control of Sanaa. The Saudi-backed PLC, recognized by the United Nations, has governed the southern and eastern parts of the country from its base in Aden, the former capital of South Yemen, since the Houthi takeover.
Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen's civil war in 2015, leading an Arab coalition in support of the PLC, but ultimately failed to defeat the Houthis. A truce negotiated between the warring parties in 2022 had largely held until this year, when the Houthis initiated missile and drone attacks on Saudi shipping and oil infrastructure, stemming from the broader Iran conflict.
Houthis Maintain Ground Initiative
Since capturing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in their swift offensive last month, which led to the collapse of government forces, the Houthis have maintained the initiative on the ground. The Bab el-Mandeb strait serves as the southern exit of the Red Sea, a crucial shipping lane connecting the Mediterranean and Asia, which has gained heightened importance this year as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
In the past 48 hours, Houthi forces have also made advances against government and local troops on strategic hilltops near Yemen's Taiz, according to military sources. This advance targets the last remaining road connecting the city to Aden on the southern coast. Houthi control over the Taiz-Aden road would effectively place the city, Yemen's third-largest and home to hundreds of thousands of civilians and thousands of government soldiers, under siege. The significance of Taiz extends beyond its strategic location; President Alimi hails from the region, and a siege would exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis in the country. The World Food Programme reported last week that three out of every four families in parts of Yemen are experiencing hunger due to the escalating conflict, which has displaced tens of thousands and disrupted essential supplies for millions.
