All-out war in Yemen: Saudi-backed govt launches military drive to retake Houthi-held territory
Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi on Sunday announced the launch of military operations to retake territory held by the Iran-backed Houthis, declaring that government forces would seek to restore state authority across the country.“Today, I announce the start of military operations to retake the remaining territory of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory,” Al-Alimi said in a televised address, according to the BBC.The announcement followed a major Houthi offensive last month, during which the Iran-backed group seized territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, including areas around the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait. The Houthis have also continued to advance around Taiz, a key government-held city in southwestern Yemen.The escalation has also brought Saudi Arabia directly into the latest phase of the conflict. The Houthis claimed they had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco sites in Riyadh and the Khurais area, saying the attacks were carried out in response to 50 Saudi-led coalition strikes in Yemen over 12 hours.“Both operations successfully achieved their objectives,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said, according to the BBC.The immediate battlefield focus is Taiz, where the Houthis have reportedly cut a vital supply route linking the city with Aden, the interim capital of the Yemeni government.AFP, citing three Yemeni military sources, reported that the move has effectively left Taiz surrounded.“They’ve achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they haven’t fully taken control of it,” Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at Chatham House, told AFP.Government and Saudi-led coalition forces have been targeting Houthi military positions as the government seeks to weaken the group before attempting to reclaim territory.The latest escalation comes against the backdrop of Yemen’s war, which began in 2014 when the Houthis seized Sanaa and expanded their control across northern Yemen. Saudi Arabia intervened the following year at the head of a coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.The Houthis’ latest offensive has now altered the battlefield, giving them greater control of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline and increasing their leverage over the Bab al-Mandab shipping route.The developments also pose a direct risk to Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure. Any sustained Houthi campaign against Saudi energy facilities could have wider consequences for global oil markets, while Houthi control or disruption around Bab al-Mandab could threaten one of the world’s key maritime trade routes.
