Yemen has descended back into full-scale conflict after a period of relative calm, as the Iran-backed Houthi militia launched a rapid offensive to seize key positions along the country’s Red Sea coast. In recent weeks, the Houthis have captured strategic locations including the port city of Mokha and Perim Island near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, intensifying clashes with Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces and escalating cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia.
The renewed hostilities come amid heightened regional tensions following the widening conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran that erupted earlier this year. The escalation has disrupted a fragile truce agreed in 2022 and added instability to a region already grappling with multiple conflicts. Saudi Arabia, which has led a military coalition supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2015, faces increased insecurity along its southern border, even as it seeks international support to counter the advancing Houthis.
The war in Yemen began in 2014 when the Houthi movement, a Shiite group opposing foreign intervention, took control of the capital, Sanaa, displacing the recognized government. Saudi Arabia responded with a military campaign aimed at restoring that government, resulting in years of devastating violence marked by a humanitarian crisis. Despite a truce established in 2022, the peace unraveled amid rising tensions involving Iran and Saudi Arabia. In July, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Sanaa’s airport to block an Iranian plane, while also declaring a naval blockade in the Red Sea that hampers Saudi shipping routes.
Since the offensive began, the Houthis have intensified missile and drone strikes targeting Riyadh and other parts of Saudi Arabia, citing retaliation for frequent Saudi air raids on Yemeni territory. Analysts say the group’s leadership sees ongoing conflict as a tool to extract political concessions from Saudi Arabia, including demands to lift restrictions on air and sea access to Houthi-controlled areas, reparations for war damages, and a complete Saudi withdrawal from Yemen.
Iran’s support has been critical to the Houthis’ recent gains but does not amount to full command over the group. While the Houthis receive advanced weaponry such as missiles and drones from Tehran, they maintain operational independence and have developed indigenous capabilities aided by technology, including artificial intelligence. Experts suggest Iran views the escalation as a means to pressure the United States by disrupting global energy supplies and drawing Washington further into the regional conflict.
The Yemeni government, meanwhile, remains hindered by internal divisions and reliance on external support, complicating its efforts to counter the Houthi advance. Saudi Arabia has increased military aid to the government coalition and attempted to unify disparate armed factions, but these efforts have fallen short, as demonstrated by the loss of Mokha and control over the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Saudi officials have been largely silent about their next steps, though they have sought additional military assistance from partners like the United States and the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently announced limited Royal Air Force support in the form of air-to-air refueling for Saudi aircraft. Despite memories of a costly, protracted bombing campaign that has contributed to immense civilian suffering in Yemen, some Saudi officials now regard a military confrontation with the Houthis as unavoidable.
Observers note that Saudi efforts to achieve peace with the Houthis have repeatedly failed, whether through diplomacy, economic incentives, or military force. The conflict’s resumption threatens further destabilization in the Middle East and complicates global energy markets already strained by the broader Iran-U.S. confrontation.