Intense Fighting Grips Yemen as Saudi-Backed Coalition Launches New Offensive Against Houths

The Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen has announced the capture of several strategic positions near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait from the Iran-aligned Houthis, as clashes escalate along the country’s western coast. Meanwhile, the Houthis reported launching attacks targeting airports, oil infrastructure, and military sites inside Saudi Arabia.

This latest military operation follows significant Houthi gains in September, during which the group advanced across Yemen’s Red Sea coast, seizing the strategic port city of Mocha and surrounding territory near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, stated that the newly announced government operation, 'Dawn of Yemen,' aims to reclaim all territory currently held by the Houthis, including the capital city of Sanaa.

The most intense fighting has concentrated in southwestern Yemen along the Red Sea coast and around Taiz. Forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, alongside the Popular Resistance Forces, reported securing the al-Manzara, al-Ashari, and Dhiban mountains in Haifan. Government troops, supported by heavy Saudi air strikes, also reached the outskirts of Mocha as Houthi fighters withdrew toward the highlands. A Houthi military spokesman maintained that the group retains control of its positions and dismissed opponent reports as fabrications.

Former UN Security Council adviser on Yemen Fernando Carvajal noted that the battle for Mocha remains crucial for the next phase of the conflict, emphasizing that government forces must successfully hold the city to use it as a staging point for further advances. Concurrently, coalition naval forces struck Houthi military targets in Hodeidah, including weapons depots and facilities linked to explosive-laden boats and naval mines, which officials say thwarted a planned maritime attack.

The humanitarian fallout from the renewed violence has deepened an already severe crisis. The UN migration agency reported that over 184,000 people have been displaced since fighting resumed, while the World Health Organization confirmed at least 959 deaths and upwards of 4,200 injuries, further straining the nation's fragile healthcare infrastructure.

Internationally, the escalation has triggered regional and global responses. Turkiye and Pakistan have agreed to rapidly deploy military forces and capabilities to Saudi Arabia under the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement. Additionally, the United States continues to provide intelligence support to Riyadh, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirming that Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government possess the right to defend themselves.