In brief
The head of Yemen’s official government has announced a full‑scale offensive to reclaim territory captured by the Iran‑backed Houthis. The move follows an earlier Houthi offensive that seized Yemen’s coastline and disrupts Saudi‑controlled oil routes. Rising exchanges include strikes on Saudi Aramco sites, raising tensions in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia backs President Al‑Alimi’s forces, while the Houthis claim success in isolating Taiz. The war threatens to widen an already devastating humanitarian crisis across Yemen.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government has formally called for an all‑out war to retake every area currently controlled by the Iran‑backed Houthi movement. The announcement came after the Houthis launched an offensive last month that swept the entire Red Sea coastline, cutting Saudi access to alternative oil export routes.
In the days that followed, Houthi forces claimed strikes on Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco sites, stating that 50 coalition attacks had been launched in a 12‑hour period. Saudi Arabia has yet to reply to those claims, but it has condemned the attacks as destabilising.
President Rashad al‑Alimi, in a televised address from Riyadh, declared that Yemen’s military would now target all Houthi positions across the country, from Sanaa and Saada in the north to Taiz in the south‑west. He emphasized the objective of re‑establishing state authority over every district of Yemen and protecting the nation’s essential infrastructure.
Despite government claims of success, security watchdogs note that the Houthis have maintained momentum, encircling Taiz by cutting a key supply route to Aden. Analysts from the Chatham House think tank consider this a strategic victory for the rebels and question whether Saudi‑backed forces can curb the Houthi advances.
The region’s political dynamics are further strained by the Saudi-led coalition’s continued airstrikes on Houthi positions, while Al‑Alimi’s forces claim successful hits on Houthi installations. The clash risks expanding economic disruption, especially in oil markets, and could deepen Yemen’s already severe humanitarian predicament.
The conflict, which stopped a brief calm in July, points to a fragile geopolitical landscape in the Middle East. Yemeni civilians endure shortages and displacement as war escalates, a reality that underscores the urgency of resolving the crisis.
