Yemen's Government Launches Counteroffensive Against Houthis as Saudi Air Power and US Intelligence Reshape the Battlefield

Yemen's internationally recognized government has launched a major military operation aimed at reversing recent Houthi territorial gains, marking a significant shift in a conflict that has largely stalemated for years. The announcement of Operation Dawn of Yemen on Monday was followed almost immediately by a ground offensive along the southern Red Sea coast, signaling that government forces intend to seize the initiative after a series of setbacks.

The immediate objective of the campaign is to roll back advances made by the Iran-backed Houthi movement last month, when the group captured control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait—one of the world's most strategically vital maritime chokepoints. The broader and far more ambitious goal is to reclaim all territories held by the Houthis since they seized the capital, Sanaa, by force in 2014 and subsequently established their own governing authority.

While the operation's stated ambitions are sweeping, its battlefield achievements thus far have been modest. Government forces have made only limited progress into areas near Bab al-Mandeb, according to reports from the front lines. Nevertheless, the offensive represents a notably more organized effort than the government's previous performance, particularly when compared with its capitulation and loss of the Red Sea coast to the Houthis in early September.

The earlier defeats exposed serious weaknesses within the anti-Houthi coalition. Government forces suffered from a lack of cohesiveness among the various factions fighting under their banner, insufficient military preparedness, and what analysts have characterized as Houthi infiltration of government communications networks. Whether these systemic problems have been adequately addressed remains an open question, but the Houthis' failure to secure the highlands overlooking the territory they recently conquered has left them exposed to counterattack.

The most consequential change in the current offensive is the direct and heavy involvement of Saudi Arabia. On Monday, the Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government disclosed that 100 fighter jets had participated in the operation—its first public acknowledgment in four years, since a 2022 truce, that it had resumed aerial attacks against the Houthis. This disclosure came despite earlier reports of Saudi strikes in September, suggesting a renewed and more overt military commitment from Riyadh.

The air campaign has provided critical support to government forces operating on multiple fronts beyond the Red Sea coast, including in Taiz, Marib, and al-Jawf governorates. Maged al-Madhaji, chairman of the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies, told Al Jazeera that the "rate and accuracy" of the current air strikes exceeded previous levels, even when compared with the outset of the Saudi-led coalition's bombing campaign in 2015. This assessment points to a qualitative improvement in the coalition's military capabilities and targeting precision.

The improved effectiveness of the air campaign is also attributable to enhanced intelligence sharing with the United States. A US official confirmed on Monday that 200 American advisers are stationed in Saudi Arabia to support the operation. This intelligence support has allowed for more efficient targeting and better coordination between air and ground forces, according to sources familiar with the campaign.

Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese general, emphasized that the coordination between air and ground operations reveals a unified command structure essential to military success. He noted that a central leadership is now managing operations and facilitating coordination between ground and air forces, addressing a longstanding deficiency in the coalition's command and control. Hanna explained that while air power can strike targets, ground forces must subsequently occupy, hold, and control territory for any gains to be meaningful.

The American contribution, Hanna added, essentially functions as an "intelligence bank" of targets, enabling repeated and precise attacks on Houthi positions. This kind of sustained intelligence support is particularly valuable in a conflict where the Houthis have demonstrated a capacity to adapt and disperse their forces in response to aerial bombardment.

Another factor distinguishing the current offensive from earlier fighting is the prominent combat role assumed by the Giants Brigades. Previously trained and equipped by the United Arab Emirates, and now backed by Saudi Arabia, this force was present during the September losses to the Houthis but in significantly smaller numbers. In the current operation, the Giants Brigades have taken the lead in the Red Sea coast battles and in Taiz's al-Waziyah district, which commands the approaches to the port city of Mocha.

The Giants Brigades bring substantial combat experience to the fight. They previously defeated the Houthis in Shabwah in 2022, driving them out of the southeastern coastal governorate, as well as from parts of Marib and al-Bayda east of Sanaa. Their familiarity with Houthi tactics and their proven record of success in multiple theaters make them a uniquely valuable asset in the current campaign.

Al-Madhaji described the Giants Brigades as "the most experienced with the Houthis' fighting methods," noting that they have engaged the group more than any other force across diverse operational environments, ranging from flat terrain to mountainous areas. This breadth of experience has proven essential in a conflict that spans Yemen's varied and challenging geography.

Crucially, al-Madhaji observed that this operation marks the first time Saudi operational management has combined with forces previously under Emirati command to produce effective results. This unprecedented coordination, he suggested, indicates that the operations room has become unified and that operational coordination between previously disparate factions has improved significantly. The practical effect of this unification could be transformative for the coalition's ability to conduct sustained offensive operations.

The involvement of multiple external powers—Saudi Arabia providing air power, the United States supplying intelligence and advisers, and the UAE's trained forces now operating under Saudi direction—suggests a broader realignment of the coalition's approach to the Yemen conflict. Whether these improvements can be sustained and translated into lasting territorial gains remains to be seen, but the current offensive clearly represents the most serious challenge the Houthis have faced in years.