Yemen's Government Launches Major Offensive to Retake Houthi-Held Territory as Fighting Escalates

Yemen's internationally recognised government has declared a sweeping military campaign aimed at reclaiming all areas under Houthi control, signalling a dramatic escalation in a conflict that had largely remained dormant for years before recent weeks saw a sharp surge in hostilities. The announcement was made by Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, the executive authority of the Yemeni government, and represents one of the most significant military declarations since the civil war began.

The declaration follows weeks of intense combat and substantial territorial gains by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement along Yemen's Red Sea coastline and in the vicinity of Taiz, a city of strategic importance. The Houthis have been advancing rapidly, capturing approximately 150 kilometres of coastal territory last month, including areas surrounding Bab al-Mandeb, the narrow maritime passage that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and serves as a vital corridor for global shipping.

On Monday, government forces reported that they had successfully retaken control of the Dhubab district on the western coast, situated near the Bab al-Mandeb strait, following fierce clashes with Houthi fighters. The Houthis, however, have denied this claim, underscoring the difficulty of verifying battlefield developments in the conflict-ravaged nation.

The renewed fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia-backed government forces has widened considerably since a fragile truce agreement collapsed in July. That ceasefire, brokered in 2022, had provided a measure of stability for nearly two years before unraveling. Since its collapse, more than 100,000 people have been displaced, according to estimates, adding to what is already one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.

Yemen's foreign minister, Afrah Al-Zouba, issued a direct appeal to the international community on Monday, urging greater support for the government's efforts to defeat the Houthis. In a statement posted on the social media platform X, she emphasised that stability in Yemen serves the interests of the entire world. She called upon "brothers, friends and the international community to support the Yemeni people, their state, and their national institutions in confronting the terrorist Houthi militia, which seizes their will by force of arms and lays waste to the lives of their sons – after exhausting all opportunities for de-escalation and peace."

The Yemeni government's military arm reported on Monday that 1,747 Houthi fighters had been "neutralised" across 1,122 military operations conducted in the Saada, al-Jawf and Taiz governorates, as well as along the western coast. Military spokesman Majed Abdullah al-Nuzaili stated that the operations targeted artillery and rocket emplacements, fortifications, supply routes, reinforcements and command centres. He noted that warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers were deployed in the campaign, and that 364 military and logistical vehicles had been destroyed or rendered inoperable. These casualty and equipment figures have not been independently confirmed.

In Marib governorate in northeastern Yemen, fighting also intensified on Monday. A military source told Al Jazeera that government forces launched an assault on Houthi positions along the Ragwan front in the northern part of the governorate, coordinated with air strikes targeting Houthi positions and reinforcements. The source indicated that the raids struck Houthi locations near Mount Helan, as well as an arms depot and military reinforcements northwest of Marib. The Saudi-led coalition reported on Sunday that its forces had carried out 97 attacks against Houthi reinforcements around Taiz and the Tor al-Baha front, utilising warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers.

Al Jazeera's Yemen bureau chief, Saeed Thabet, provided analysis of the situation in Taiz, noting that Houthi operations in the rural areas surrounding the strategic city rely on guerrilla tactics. These tactics, he explained, are designed to alleviate pressure on the coastal front and tighten the blockade of the road leading to Aden, Yemen's southern coastal city and the government's interim capital. Military sources informed Reuters that over the preceding 48 hours, the Houthis had advanced against government and local forces on strategic hilltops near Taiz, pushing forward along the last remaining road connecting the city with Aden. Additionally, AFP quoted four security sources stating that the Houthis had severed a critical supply route linking the besieged city of Taiz with Aden.

The broader context of the conflict remains deeply complex. The Houthis have controlled Yemen's capital, Sanaa, and large portions of the country's populated areas since 2014, when they seized the capital and prompted a Saudi-led military intervention the following year. The war has since evolved into a protracted proxy conflict, with Iran backing the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government. The humanitarian toll has been catastrophic, with tens of thousands of civilians killed and millions displaced or facing famine conditions.

The recent Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast have raised particular alarm among international observers, given the strategic significance of the Bab al-Mandeb strait. This waterway is a chokepoint for global trade, with a substantial portion of Europe-Asia shipping passing through it. Houthi control over stretches of the coastline has already disrupted maritime traffic, with the group launching attacks on vessels in the Red Sea in recent months, further destabilising an already volatile region.

The Yemeni government's new offensive, if successful, could shift the balance of power on the ground. However, analysts caution that the Houthis have demonstrated resilience and military capability despite years of bombardment by the Saudi-led coalition. The group's guerrilla tactics, familiarity with mountainous terrain and alleged supply of advanced weaponry from Iran make them a formidable adversary. The government's ability to hold recaptured territory will depend heavily on continued coalition air support and the morale and capacity of its ground forces.

Regional dynamics further complicate the picture. Saudi Arabia has been seeking a exit strategy from the costly war, engaging in direct talks with the Houthis in recent years. The collapse of the truce and the Houthis' subsequent advances may have upended those diplomatic efforts. Meanwhile, the United States and other Western nations have expressed concern over Houthi attacks on shipping, which have prompted military responses and heightened tensions in the Red Sea.

For ordinary Yemenis, the renewed fighting means further suffering. Displacement has surged, with families forced to flee their homes with little notice. Aid agencies warn that the humanitarian response is already severely underfunded, and the new wave of violence will exacerbate food insecurity, disease outbreaks and lack of access to basic services. The international community's call for de-escalation has so far gone unheeded, as both sides appear determined to press their military advantages.

As the government's offensive unfolds, the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether the conflict shifts decisively in its favour or descends into an even more prolonged and destructive stalemate. What remains clear is that Yemen's civilian population will bear the heaviest burden of this renewed chapter in a war that has already wrought unimaginable devastation.