Houthi advance on Aden supply route repelled, say Saudi-backed forces

Yemen's Saudi-backed forces asserted on Thursday that they had thwarted overnight assaults by Houthi rebels on a crucial supply route leading to the southern port city of Aden, Reuters reported. The Hejat al-Abd mountain pass, a lifeline for Saudi-backed government forces, has been under a rapid Houthi advance this month, fueled by tensions stemming from the war on Iran.

This single road is vital for delivering goods to Taiz, Yemen's third-largest city, as well as the southern and western rural areas, where residents rely on it to travel abroad, given the lack of commercial flights from Houthi-controlled regions. Despite their recent territorial gains, including reaching the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandab strait, the Iran-aligned Houthis continue to pose a significant threat to government forces, who have been striving to maintain control despite the ongoing pressure.