Saudi-backed Yemeni government launches major offensive to retake Houthi-held territory

Riyadh: Yemeni government forces have taken control of key positions on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to military and government sources, as they battle to counter the recent gains by Iran-backed Houthis in the region. The government forces have captured large parts of Dhubab district, overlooking the strategic waterway, and are asserting full control over the area with the aid of heavy air support from a Saudi-led coalition.

Houthi-aligned media earlier disputed reports of government advances in the area. Conflict has intensified along multiple battlegrounds in Yemen since the dormant civil war reignited due to the US-Iran conflict, with the Houthis aiming to take control of the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait and launch missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities and infrastructure.

With Gulf energy exports already curtailed by Iran's closure of the Hormuz Strait, the Yemeni fighting has jeopardized another significant oil export route, driving up global prices and escalating risks in an already volatile region. On Sunday, the internationally recognized Yemeni government announced the start of its offensive to reclaim territory, with President Rashad al-Alimi vowing to continue fighting until the nation is liberated from the "terrorist militia."

Saudi Arabia is backing the military campaign with air power and has sought logistical support from allies to push back the Houthis, restore free trade in the Red Sea, and halt the group's attacks on its territory. Although the war has been raging on several fronts in Yemen, the most intense fighting has occurred in the southwest, particularly near the strait and around the city of Taiz, where the Houthis are attempting to encircle government forces.

A Houthi-run news agency reported on Monday that the group had driven government forces from the al-Mawasit district of Taiz province, reaching President al-Alimi's residence, situated near the main road linking Taiz to Aden, the last highway accessible to government forces amid the ongoing civil war. Yemen's conflict began in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital Sanaa, leading to a Saudi-led coalition intervention in 2015 to restore the government and oust the Iran-backed group.

The fighting quickly turned into a brutal stalemate, with most fronts frozen, resulting in a major humanitarian crisis in the already impoverished Arab state until a ceasefire was reached in 2022 that lasted until this summer.