Yemen launches major military operation against Houthis
Yemen's internationally recognized government announced a new military offensive to retake Houthi-held territory after rebels cut a key road linking the city of Taiz with Aden.
The Saudi-backed Yemeni government has declared a new military operation to reclaim territory from Iran-backed Houthi rebels, as fighting escalates around Taiz, a crucial southwestern city. Yemeni Presidential Council chief Rashad al-Alimi announced the start of operations to restore state authority across the entire nation in a televised address.
The move follows Houthi fighters capturing a key road connecting Taiz to the government-held city of Aden, effectively isolating the city, which has been besieged by rebels for over a decade. Over 70 people were killed in recent clashes around Taiz, according to AFP. The escalation comes amid a renewed civil war between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government in Yemen, supported by Saudi Arabia, after a four-year ceasefire collapsed in July.
Following the rebels' permission for an Iranian plane to land in Yemen's capital Sanaa, the Houthi government broke the 2022 truce. In retaliation, the Houthis imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and seized control of Yemen's Red Sea coast and the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping route, from government forces despite al-Alimi's calls for international support.
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