Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has launched a new war against Iran-backed rebels who now control one of the world’s most important oil shipping lanes.
Quick Take
- Yemen’s presidential council leader announced new military operations Sunday to retake land held by the Houthis
- Saudi-led coalition forces struck Houthi positions 97 times in one day before the announcement
- The Houthis control Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a key route for global oil shipments
- Iran’s Revolutionary Guards reportedly helped direct the Houthi advance, raising fears of a wider regional war
New Offensive Aims to Reclaim Lost Ground
Rashad al-Alimi, the Saudi-backed head of Yemen’s Presidential Council, announced Sunday that his forces had started military operations to retake territory held by the Iran-backed Houthis. He said the goal is to restore state authority across the entire country. The move follows weeks of Houthi battlefield gains that stunned regional observers and left Saudi Arabia searching for a response.
Yemen’s Houthi movement has held the capital, Sanaa, since 2014. But this year brought a fast, surprising advance. The group seized the country’s Red Sea coast, captured strategic islands, and took the port city of Mocha. That push gave the once-local militia control over the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a narrow waterway vital to world oil shipping.
Strikes Intensify Before Ground Push
Hours before al-Alimi’s announcement, the Saudi-led coalition said its forces carried out 97 “precise targeting operations” against Houthi reinforcements. The strikes hit the Tor al-Baha front and the Taiz axis, using warplanes, drones, artillery, missiles and snipers. The barrage signals an attempt to weaken Houthi positions before Yemeni ground troops move to retake lost territory.
Saudi Arabia has reportedly been planning this offensive for weeks. Regional and Western officials told Reuters the kingdom weighed several options, including a coastal push to secure the Red Sea route or a multi-front assault. The plan relies on Yemeni forces doing the ground fighting while Saudi warplanes provide air cover, a model that has struggled against the Houthis before.
Iran’s Shadow Over the Fighting
Five military sources from Yemen’s Saudi-backed government told Reuters that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards directed the recent Houthi campaign along the Red Sea coast. The Houthis reject the framing of foreign control. Their leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, has called the fighting legitimate defense against what he describes as Saudi occupation and an unjust siege on the Yemeni people.
🔴 Yemen gov't forces launch major offensive against Houthis in Sanaa
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces declared a 'battle for liberation' to retake territory held by the Iran-backed Houthi group. Heavy damage was reported at a factory in Sanaa, the Houthi-held capital, as… pic.twitter.com/vhu7IrJb8n
— NewsTongue (@NewsTongueX) October 5, 2026
The United States has stayed out of direct combat despite pleas from Saudi Arabia for more support, according to Axios. Saudi forces are mainly providing air cover for Yemeni ground troops rather than committing their own soldiers to the fight. That caution reflects years of costly, inconclusive fighting in Yemen that has drained Saudi resources without delivering a lasting victory.
Sources:
reuters.com, cnn.com, aljazeera.com
