Airstrikes targeted Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, controlled by the Houthi movement, overnight into Friday following intensified fighting in the southern city of Taiz, raising concerns about a resurgence of full-scale conflict in the country. The Iran-backed Houthis reported that strikes also hit Taiz and nearby provinces, attributing the attacks to the Saudi-led coalition. A Houthi spokesperson indicated that high-value targets in Sanaa were struck but did not provide further details.
The escalation follows a recent missile strike in southern Yemen that reportedly killed more than 200 people. The Houthis have blamed Saudi Arabia for these attacks, while the Saudi-led coalition condemned the Houthis for their continued aggression. Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, remains a strategic battleground due to its location at a crossroads between Houthi-controlled areas and government-held territory. Clashes along front lines in the region have intensified in recent months, resulting in significant casualties on both sides.
The Saudi-led coalition continues to exert military pressure on the Houthis through airstrikes and naval blockades that disrupt key Red Sea shipping routes and close several ports, exacerbating Yemen’s dire humanitarian situation. Thousands of civilians have been displaced amid the renewed fighting, compounding an already critical crisis.
Despite mounting violence, United Nations representatives and international envoys have repeatedly called for a cessation of hostilities to prevent further civilian harm and to revive fragile peace efforts. The Houthis deny launching attacks against Saudi Arabia but have acknowledged responsibility for strikes in Yemen that resulted in the deaths of more than 150 civilians in recent weeks.
The intensification of hostilities has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict involving Iran, which supports the Houthis, and Saudi Arabia, a leading force in the coalition opposing them. International actors remain focused on efforts to reduce civilian casualties and push for de-escalation amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region.