Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced a major military offensive against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as they advance near the southwestern city of Taiz. The announcement was made on October 4 by President Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, who called on the international community to support the Saudi-backed campaign to retake territories controlled by the Houthis.
The government forces have been mounting an offensive aimed at regaining territory lost in recent weeks, including the strategically important Bab el-Mandeb Strait and approximately 90 miles of Red Sea coastline. The Houthis seized these areas in a rapid advance during September, increasing their control over crucial shipping routes and opening a new front in the broader regional conflict linked to tensions between Iran and a U.S.-Israeli coalition.
In the days leading up to the government’s announcement, Houthi forces pushed into the outskirts of Taiz, a key urban center besieged for years by the rebels. This intensified fighting disrupted a major road connecting Taiz to Aden, the seat of Yemen’s recognized government. A military spokesman for the government urged the Houthis to disarm and surrender, framing the campaign as a liberation effort.
The conflict has seen renewed hostilities after nearly four years of a fragile ceasefire. Both sides have engaged in cross-border airstrikes. The Yemeni military, supported by Riyadh, claimed responsibility for recent strikes on "vital targets" in the Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and in Saada province near the Saudi border. Meanwhile, the Houthi military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, reported missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi oil infrastructure, including facilities belonging to the state oil company Aramco near Riyadh.
These escalations coincide with wider regional tensions. Iran’s oil minister, Mohsen Paknejad, resigned recently amid mounting economic and geopolitical pressures, including tightened U.S. sanctions and a naval blockade impacting its oil exports. His successor, Hamid Bovard, was appointed as caretaker minister.
In the Persian Gulf, concerns over maritime security persist after a projectile struck a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. Although overall shipping traffic through the strait has improved under U.S. naval escort operations, volumes remain below prewar levels.
The Yemeni conflict thus remains a focal point of broader regional power struggles, with the Saudi-backed government seeking to reverse the Houthis’ territorial gains and Iran continuing to support the rebel group amid a complex web of diplomatic and military confrontations.