Houthis cut vital supply road to Yemen’s Taiz

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have halted traffic on the main road connecting Taiz to Aden, a crucial supply route, following days of intense fighting in the region. The Houthi advance began with their takeover of the al-Safiya area, where they cut the main road and seized control of the local police station. Multiple military sources have confirmed Houthi control over the area and the supply route, effectively encircling Taiz city.

Although government forces still maintain control over the city, it has been under a prolonged siege from multiple directions by Houthi fighters. This military move has successfully isolated Taiz from Aden, marking one of the key fronts in Yemen's ongoing civil war. Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House think-tank, noted that the Houthis have achieved their objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they haven't fully taken control of it.

The Saudi Arabian-backed government and the Houthi group have been alternating their airstrikes, with the Saudi-led coalition conducting most of the operations since their involvement in 2015. The conflict intensified in September when the Houthis launched a rapid offensive, capturing Yemen's entire Red Sea coast, including the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial shipping lane.

The Houthis have simultaneously imposed a blockade on Saudi energy exports, further exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation in Yemen. The civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis overthrew the Saudi-backed government in Sanaa and expanded their control into the northern regions. Saudi Arabia intervened the following year as part of an international coalition to counter the Houthi advance.