Houthi Forces Forced to Retreat on Yemen's West Coast Following Intense Air Strikes

Houthi fighters were forced to redeploy from newly seized territory on Yemen's west coast after suffering heavy losses from strikes by pro-government forces, a Yemeni security source told The National.

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels admitted they had been targeted by dozens of air strikes on Saturday and Sunday across Al Bayda, Al Jawf, Hajjah, Lahij, Saada, and Taiz. Saudi Arabia leads a coalition that intervened in Yemen following the Houthi takeover of the capital Sanaa in 2014. While Saudi Arabia has not confirmed carrying out the recent attacks on Houthi positions, the kingdom has been repeatedly targeted by the group, most notably in Khamis Mushait, home to the King Khalid airbase and the East-West pipeline.

“The Houthis are attempting to minimise their visible human presence to avoid being targeted by air strikes, as the area is an open coastal desert,” the security source stated. This redeployment restricts the rebels' access to the strategic Bab Al Mandeb.

Mohammed Al Basha, founder of the US-based risk advisory firm Basha Report, wrote on X that Houthi forces are no longer able to exercise effective control over the Bab Al Mandeb and have withdrawn most of their forces. Government forces have not yet fully secured the territory, but sustained close air support has effectively denied the area to the rebels.

The attacks occurred within a designated military target area or "kill box" revealed by government forces on Saturday south of the rebel-controlled port of Hodeidah near Bab Al Mandeb. A video released by Yemen's military purportedly shows strikes in Dhubab and Mokha, which were taken over by the Houthis late last week. Col Majed Al Nuzaili, spokesman for the armed forces, advised civilians to avoid the Taiz-Mokha road and the coastal route running south from Mokha to Dhubab due to ongoing military operations.

Displacement in Yemen has surpassed 85,000 since escalations began, with over 2,000 people crossing into Djibouti, according to the UN's International Organisation for Migration (IOM). In Taiz, 9,280 households have been displaced. The IOM noted that families continue to flee repeatedly amidst inaccessible roads and disrupted communications.

The surge in fighting coincides with an increase in US-Iran tit-for-tat attacks on Gulf shipping. Gaining control of the waterway could grant Iran a critical advantage by reducing supplies through a second major transit corridor and driving up oil prices. As part of their operations, the Houthis also took control of Perim and Zuqar islands, which are vital for maritime security and monitoring vessels entering or leaving the Red Sea.