Intensifying combat has erupted in Yemen’s Taiz governorate as the country’s internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, initiates a significant military operation to reclaim territory from Iran-aligned Houthi forces. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council, announced on Sunday the commencement of this major offensive, signaling an escalation in a region that has already seen some of the most recent and ferocious clashes.
Strategic analysts suggest the Houthis are attempting to secure their territorial gains after a rapid campaign earlier this month seized much of Yemen’s Red Sea coastline. For the government coalition, the defense of Taiz is viewed as an existential struggle for national control.
Taiz is Yemen’s most populous governorate, home to approximately 4.5 million people. It serves as a critical geographical bridge; the flat western coastal area includes the port of Mocha and the Bab al-Mandeb strait, while the capital, Taiz City, sits in the highlands under government control. The city is considered a key source of political legitimacy for the Yemeni state.
Ibrahim Jalal, a senior policy adviser, emphasized that Taiz holds immense social, economic, and military significance for the entire nation. “The Houthi attempt to isolate and constrict the city seeks to secure their coastal Red Sea gains up to Bab al-Mandeb, as well as double down on pressure on Lahij, Aden and much of the south,” Jalal told Al Jazeera. He noted that the Houthis aim to eliminate remaining pockets of resistance to consolidate their control over former northern boundaries.
The conflict in Taiz dates back to September 2014, shortly after Houthi forces captured the capital, Sanaa. Between 2015 and 2022, government forces successfully repelled numerous Houthi assaults, though thousands of civilians died during the siege. Current fighting is concentrated around Jabal Han, a strategic mountain overlooking the city from the west, and key supply routes.
Saeed Thabet, Al Jazeera’s bureau chief in Yemen, explained that control of Jabal Han would allow Houthi forces to cut off supplies entering Taiz City from the southwest. Observers describe the situation as a stalemate, with government forces launching dozens of air strikes while Houthi fighters advance under heavy artillery, tank, and rocket fire.
Yemeni military spokesman Majed al-Nuzaili reported that government forces have carried out extensive operations involving aircraft, drones, and snipers, claiming hundreds of Houthi casualties. On Sunday, troops announced they had recaptured several areas, including the Samaa Fort, a move attributed partly to the cooperation between government soldiers and local tribesmen.
The humanitarian impact on civilians has been severe. Nearly 200,000 people have been displaced since fighting escalated in early September, with the majority hailing from Taiz. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have warned that the violence threatens Yemen’s fragile healthcare infrastructure.
Access to aid has been further restricted after government forces closed major roads leading into Taiz City to prevent Houthi infiltration. Prior to the Houthi capture of Mocha, its port served as a vital lifeline for food and humanitarian supplies. Currently, nearly half of Yemen’s 34 million population faces acute food insecurity, with approximately 500,000 people suffering from severe malnutrition.
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