Yemen’s internationally recognized government, backed by Saudi Arabia, announced a large-scale military operation on Sunday aimed at recapturing territory controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The move comes as clashes intensified around the strategic southwestern city of Taiz.
In a televised address, Rashad al-Alimi, chief of the Yemeni Presidential Council, declared the commencement of operations to “retake the remaining territory of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory.”
The announcement followed a significant tactical gain by the Houthis, who captured a crucial roadway linking Taiz with Aden, a city under government control. This maneuver has effectively isolated Taiz, which the rebel group has besieged for over a decade. Reports indicate that more than 70 people were killed in fighting around the city in the past 24 hours, according to the AFP news agency.
The escalation has drawn a response from regional allies. The Pakistani Foreign Ministry stated that the Mecca Alliance, comprising Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, held an emergency meeting to address the situation. The alliance condemned the Houthis’ targeting of Saudi Arabia’s holiest cities, Mecca and Medina, and agreed to deploy “agreed military forces and capabilities” to support Saudi defenses. Local residents reported hearing explosions in the Riyadh region during the evening.
This development marks a significant deterioration in the region, reviving Yemen’s civil war after a four-year ceasefire collapsed in July 2026. The truce between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia fell apart after the rebels permitted an Iranian plane to land in the capital, Sanaa, defying Saudi control over Yemeni airspace. In retaliation, the Houthis imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia and seized Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait last month, a vital global shipping route, from government forces.
The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and much of Yemen’s densely populated western regions since the onset of the civil war in 2014. Al-Alimi has called upon the international community for support as the government seeks to reverse recent rebel advances.
Wait, Pakistan and Turkey are deploying forces? This just turned from a local civil war into a major regional conflict overnight.
I’m skeptical about the government actually retaking anything. The Houthis have held these territories for years and seem stronger than ever.
This escalation is terrifying. The humanitarian situation in Taiz must be dire with over 70 killed in just a day.