Yemen Declares an All-Out Offensive to Retake Houthi Territory
Yemen’s internationally recognised government has announced military operations to retake all territory held by the Iran-backed Houthis. “Today, I announce the start of military operations to retake the remaining territory of the republic,” President Rashad al-Alimi said in a televised address from Riyadh. Earlier the Houthis had cut the main supply road between Taiz and Aden, effectively encircling the city, and claimed missile and drone strikes on Aramco sites.
Al-Alimi would hardly have spoken without Saudi Arabia’s blessing. Last month’s Houthi offensive seized Yemen’s entire Red Sea coast, including the Bab al-Mandab, denying Riyadh its alternative export route around Hormuz. More than 70 combatants were reported killed around Taiz in a single day, according to sources on both sides. “They’ve achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they haven’t fully taken control of it,” said Farea Al-Muslimi of Chatham House. The Saudi-led coalition has dismissed the Houthi claims of strikes near Riyadh.