Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces launched a major counteroffensive against Iran-aligned Houthi fighters near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while the Saudi-led coalition said more than 100 fighter jets were supporting the operation.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government said the campaign, called Operation Yemen Dawn, was intended to retake territory captured by the Houthis, restore state institutions and secure the strategic waterway linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
Government forces advanced into the Dhubab district on Yemen’s southwestern coast and claimed control of key positions near the strait, including the Dhubab airstrip. Houthi-aligned media denied that the government had made gains, and fighting was reported to be continuing near a military base, according to Reuters.
Coalition Claims Round-the-Clock Air Support
The Saudi-led coalition said its aircraft were providing round-the-clock cover for Yemeni ground forces and had struck hundreds of Houthi targets. The coalition’s battlefield claims, including the reported scale of the air campaign, could not be independently verified.
The Houthis seized the port of Mocha, islands in the Red Sea and other positions along Yemen’s western coast in September. They also advanced around Taiz, threatening the last major road linking the city with government-held Aden.
Bab el-Mandeb is one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. About 12% of global trade passes through the narrow passage, making control of Yemen’s coast critical to shipping between Asia, the Suez Canal and Europe.
Renewed War Deepens Humanitarian Crisis
The offensive followed the collapse of a lull that had largely held since a 2022 truce. The renewed fighting has spread across several fronts as the Houthis have fired missiles and drones at Saudi cities and infrastructure and Saudi Arabia has again expanded military support for Yemen’s government.
The Associated Press reported that the latest violence had killed at least 959 people and wounded more than 4,200. Aid agencies said well over 170,000 people had been displaced inside Yemen, while more than 3,000 had crossed the strait to Djibouti.
Medical facilities in coastal, western and southern parts of Taiz province have closed or are operating only partially. Further escalation around the strait could create another regional front and increase risks to commercial shipping in the Red Sea.