Yemeni government forces have intensified a campaign of air and ground operations in the southwestern province of Taiz over the past 24 hours, aiming to reverse recent territorial losses to the Iran-backed Houthi movement. The Military Media Centre reported multiple strikes on rebel positions across five locations in the province, targeting fighters, weapons depots, and military vehicles.
The escalation follows a period of dramatic Houthi gains, including the seizure of the strategic Red Sea port city of Mocha and expanded control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. In response, Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, has urged citizens to mobilize and offered amnesty to Houthi defectors as the government seeks to reclaim lost territory.
Government troops claim to have secured key high-ground positions, including Jabal Bazel, which they state puts Houthi supply lines within range. However, Al Jazeera was unable to independently verify these battlefield claims. Since the fighting resumed in July after a relative calm following a 2022 UN-brokered ceasefire, approximately 130,000 people have been displaced.
The conflict has reignited tensions across the region. Saudi Arabia, which has faced repeated Houthi missile and drone attacks on cities including Riyadh, is seeking support from allies such as Pakistan and Turkiye. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, calling for international condemnation of Houthi actions. Meanwhile, the GCC strongly condemned the attacks as a violation of Saudi sovereignty.
Iran has denied involvement in the conflict, with President Masoud Pezeshkian stating that Houthi actions are not connected to Tehran. Pezeshkian urged dialogue between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia and offered Iranian mediation, though his proposed ceasefire terms, which include opening the Strait of Hormuz, were rejected by US President Donald Trump.
Complicating the security landscape, Yemeni government officials accused the Houthis of utilizing Iranian air defense systems that threaten international aviation. Brigadier General Majed al-Nazili warned that the heat-tracking weapons cannot distinguish between military and civilian targets, endangering flight paths over the Red Sea.
On the humanitarian front, the situation remains dire. UNICEF reported that at least 15 children have been killed and 14 injured since early September, with three still missing. Over 3,000 people fled to Djibouti earlier this month. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, more than 22 million people in Yemen require aid, with 18.3 million facing acute food insecurity.
15 children killed since September is unbearable. When will the international community prioritize saving lives over political posturing at the UN?
The Strait of Hormuz conditions being part of Iran’s peace terms is a major geopolitical lever. Trump rejecting them just complicates things further.
Unverified battlefield claims from both sides make it hard to know what’s actually happening. We need independent journalists on the ground there.
Iran denying involvement while supplying air defense systems is classic plausible deniability. The region is dangerously close to a wider conflict.
Saudi Arabia seeking help from Pakistan and Turkiye shows how serious Riyadh finds these drone attacks. This is escalating quickly.
I wonder if the amnesty offer will actually encourage defectors. Hard to trust promises when the fighting is this intense right now.
130,000 displaced is a staggering number. The human cost here is absolutely heartbreaking and needs more global attention.