Yemen’s internationally recognised government announced on Monday that its military forces have reclaimed the strategic port city of Mocha and several critical positions surrounding the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. This advancement is part of a broader, major counteroffensive launched by the government to oust the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels from territory they captured during a rapid sweep in September, which had effectively threatened vital global energy supply routes. According to amid the United, And Israel’s war on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the Houthis have relaunched hostilities with the Saudi Arabia-backed Yemeni government. The move choked off an additional key global oil passageway as Iran maintained a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. On Sunday, Rashad al-Alimi, the chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, the executive body of the internationally recognised government, announced the start of military operations to retake the remaining territory held by the Houthis. According to michael Appel, The Yemen war is expected to feature prominently in the Saudi-hosted talks.
Military leadership confirmed that troops also initiated a strategic offensive targeting Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. The Houthis have maintained control over the city and much of the country’s densely populated northwest region since 2014. According to social media updates from the military, the ongoing operations involved fierce fighting on multiple fronts near Mocha, resulting in numerous Houthi casualties and the capture of several rebel fighters, though exact figures were not provided. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah or Supporters of God in Arabic, lost many fighters and several others were wounded in the clashes, with military equipment destroyed or damaged, according to the source. Could not independently verify the battlefield reports.
Details from the government-aligned news agency Saba revealed that the operation in the Dhubab district utilized units from the Homeland Shield Forces and the Giants Brigades. These troops were supported by air cover to strike rebel positions, effectively severing key roads and supply lines leading to the Bab al-Mandeb area. Government forces are currently working to clear and secure these liberated zones to prevent further Houthi movement. Since then, anti-Houthi forces have largely stabilised the front lines.
The Saudi-led military coalition, which supports the government, bolstered the ground operation with an extensive air campaign. Spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki noted that 100 fighter jets were deployed to provide air cover, ensuring the protection of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and destroying hundreds of identified Houthi targets. These developments follow the collapse of a 2022 truce between the warring parties this past July. The war escalated after a fragile truce struck between the government and the Houthis in 2022 collapsed in July.
As conflict intensities rise, significant diplomatic discussions are occurring in Riyadh. Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, also serving as foreign minister, met with Saudi and Turkish counterparts to discuss the ongoing war. The delegation includes Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif and military chief Asim Munir. The talks are centered on the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, a pact signed on August 7 aimed at boosting regional defense cooperation and collective deterrence, which dictates that an attack on one signatory is viewed as an attack on all three.
Dar indicated that these urgent discussions will evaluate a proposal for potential political engagement with the Houthis, an alternative to continued military action following outreach from Tehran. Analysts and observers have warned that the expansion of military hostilities poses severe risks for the civilian population. The renewed fighting threatens to deepen the humanitarian crisis, likely causing further displacement and persistent food insecurity for tens of thousands of residents caught in the crossfire of this long-standing conflict.
