Yemen launches major military offensive against Houthis to recapture lost territory

Yemen's Saudi-backed government has launched a new military operation after swift Houthi gains along the western coast. The fighting raises pressure on Taiz, Red Sea shipping and an already worsening humanitarian crisis.

In Short

• Saudi Arabia is expected to lead air strikes, with allies on ground
• Control of surrounding mountains could make any coastal rollback far harder
• Three in four families in some areas are going hungry

Control of Yemen's battlefield is shifting and so is the strategic balance around the Red Sea. After a rapid Houthi advance along the western coast, Yemen's Saudi-backed government has announced a major counteroffensive to recapture territory and restore state control.

President Rashad al-Alimi announced the operation in a televised address on Sunday, saying government forces would seek to restore state control across Yemen.

"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," al-Alimi said.

The announcement follows weeks of preparations for a counteroffensive by Saudi Arabia and its Yemeni allies. Regional and Western officials had previously told news agency Reuters that Saudi Arabia was preparing to lead the air campaign, while allied Yemeni forces would conduct ground operations against the Houthis.

But the government offensive begins from a difficult position. The Houthis have recently seized the initiative on the battlefield, capturing strategic territory along Yemen's western coastline and tightening their grip around key routes.

HOUTHIS SEIZE THE INITIATIVE

Yemeni government is pushing back after a rapid Houthi advance that saw government forces collapse along parts of the coast. The Iran-backed group has seized the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait in a lightning offensive, which gave it control over a crucial passage at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.

Bab el-Mandeb is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints. It connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and provides a vital shipping route between Europe and Asia. Its importance has grown even further during the current regional crisis because the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed amid the conflict involving Iran.

Control of Bab el-Mandeb therefore gives the Houthis significant strategic leverage at a time when global shipping is already facing severe disruption.

The group has also continued making gains on the ground. Over the past 48 hours, Houthi forces have captured strategic hilltops near Taiz, according to military sources. Their advance threatens the last major road connecting Taiz with Aden, where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government is based.

If the Houthis succeed in cutting that route, Taiz could effectively find itself under siege.

TAIZ IS THE NEXT BATTLEFIELD

Taiz is Yemen's third-largest city and is home to hundreds of thousands of civilians. Thousands of government-aligned fighters are also stationed there.

The city's position makes it important to both sides. Cutting its main route to Aden would isolate government forces and put additional pressure on an already fragile civilian population.

The latest Houthi gains could also strengthen the group's position around the Bab el-Mandeb coastline.

Mohammed Al-Qadhi, a veteran Yemeni journalist from Taiz who now works as a political analyst, said control of the surrounding mountains would give the Houthis a significant defensive advantage.

"This will help them protect their back in case of any operation against the coastline, and make recapturing those areas much more difficult," he said, as quoted by the news agency Reuters.

Taiz also has political significance for al-Alimi, who is from the region. A prolonged siege or battle for the city could therefore have consequences beyond the military front. More importantly, civilians are already paying the price.

The World Food Programme said last week that three in four families in parts of Yemen were going hungry as renewed fighting displaced tens of thousands of people and disrupted supplies reaching millions.

WHY SAUDI ARABIA IS BACK IN THE WAR

Saudi Arabia's involvement in Yemen dates back to 2015, when Riyadh led an Arab coalition into the conflict. The intervention came after the Houthis seized Sanaa and pushed Yemen's internationally recognised government out of the capital.

Saudi Arabia and its allies wanted to restore the government and prevent the Houthis from consolidating power on the kingdom's southern border.

Riyadh was also deeply concerned about Iran's growing influence over the Houthis.

The resulting war became one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Saudi Arabia and coalition partners, including the United Arab Emirates, carried out years of airstrikes against Houthi positions, while the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks against Saudi and Emirati targets.

Despite years of fighting, neither side managed to secure a decisive victory. The Houthis retained control of much of north-western Yemen, including densely populated areas, while demonstrating an increasingly sophisticated ability to launch missiles and drones.

TRUCE BROKE YEARS OF FIGHTING

After years of warfare, the United Nations brokered a truce in 2022. The ceasefire largely held and brought a significant reduction in fighting, even though the underlying political dispute remained unresolved.

That relative calm has now been shattered.

The conflict began spilling back across borders this year when the Houthis launched missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi shipping and oil infrastructure amid the wider war involving Iran.

Their renewed activity has also revived concerns about the security of one of the world's busiest maritime corridors.

HOUTHIS HAVE DISRUPTED GLOBAL SHIPPING

The Houthis have already demonstrated how far their military capabilities can affect international trade. Between 2023 and 2025, their attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea forced many cargo vessels travelling between Europe and Asia to avoid the Suez Canal route and sail around the southern tip of Africa.

That detour added thousands of kilometres to some journeys, increasing fuel costs, transit times and pressure on global supply chains.

The group's threats against oil tankers during the Iran war have added another layer to the disruption.

With Tehran largely choking off traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the pressure on the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb has compounded concerns about energy supplies moving out of the Gulf.

The Houthis have shown that they can cause serious damage with missiles and drones, particularly against targets in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Their attacks have been less effective against more distant targets such as Israel.

After years of war, Yemen's infrastructure is still severely damaged and millions depend on fragile supply lines for food and other essentials. With fighting already displacing tens of thousands and worsening hunger in affected areas, another major military campaign could deepen an already catastrophic crisis.

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