Yemeni authorities and political groups back armed forces against Houthis

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have launched a rapid advance to reclaim coastal areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, pushing Iran-backed Houthis out of most of the territories seized last month. Backed by heavy Saudi airstrikes, the internationally recognized government forces reached the outskirts of Mocha, where the Houthi fighters are retreating into the highlands.

The government forces had already secured key positions, including an airstrip in the Dhubab district at the strait's mouth, a crucial oil route whose takeover by the Houthis last month caused significant market disruption.

However, the Yemeni government acknowledged that while retaking the coastal area near the strait would hinder the Houthis' ability to disrupt shipping between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, the group remains capable of attacking vessels with drones from positions further up the coast and inland. The Houthis themselves reported significant advances near the city of Taiz, securing sections of a mountain road that has left government forces there surrounded.

The ongoing fighting in Yemen, fueled by a dormant civil war triggered by the US-Iran conflict, has targeted vital energy export routes. With the Hormuz Strait already closed by Iran, the Yemen conflict threatens to further increase global oil prices and heighten risks in a region already experiencing turmoil. The renewed fighting has exacerbated Yemen's humanitarian crisis, with the UN migration agency reporting that 184,000 people have been displaced since the war resumed.

Yemen's internationally recognized president, Rashad al-Alimi, vowed to continue fighting until the country is liberated from the Houthis' control. Saudi Arabia, which supplies arms and training to the Yemeni government forces, is supporting the campaign with air power and seeking logistical assistance from allies to push back the Houthis, restore free passage in the Red Sea, and halt the group's attacks on Saudi territory.