Yemen launches broad military offensive as Houthis tighten siege of Taiz

Sunday 04 - 20:00

Yemen’s internationally recognized leadership has announced a sweeping military campaign against the Houthi movement, as the rebels strengthen their position around Taiz and disrupt a crucial route linking the southwestern city to Aden.

Rachad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said Sunday that government forces would launch operations aimed at reclaiming areas still outside state control and restoring government authority across the country.

The announcement comes at a particularly sensitive moment for the government camp. Houthi forces have reportedly seized the al-Safiya area, cutting the main road connecting Taiz with Lahj and Aden, according to security sources and witnesses cited by AFP.

The development threatens to further isolate Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city by population, where the Houthis already control significant territory.

Taiz faces renewed isolation

The latest territorial advance revives memories of the prolonged siege Taiz endured during the war. The city was surrounded by Houthi forces in 2015 before government-aligned forces partially broke the blockade the following year.

The loss of the main road to Aden could now make it substantially harder for government forces to deliver military reinforcements, fuel and other supplies to positions around Taiz.

Farea al-Muslimi, an associate fellow at Chatham House, described the development as a significant military achievement for the Houthis, arguing that they had succeeded in isolating Taiz from Aden without yet securing complete control of the city.

Ahmed Nagi of the International Crisis Group warned that a prolonged Houthi hold over the routes could trigger a rapid deterioration in both the military and humanitarian situation.

The United Nations has also raised concerns. Hans Grundberg, the UN special envoy for Yemen, said he was alarmed by the renewed fighting in an area that has become a major destination for Yemenis displaced by the conflict.

Fighting intensifies across multiple fronts

The announcement from Yemen’s presidential leadership follows weeks of renewed hostilities. Fighting has escalated across several fronts since July, with both sides suffering dozens of casualties in recent days.

The Houthis also made notable gains in September, increasing pressure on government forces and reinforcing their influence around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb strait, one of the world’s key maritime passages.

The latest developments underline the increasingly regional dimension of Yemen’s conflict, where local battles are closely linked to tensions involving Saudi Arabia and other regional actors.

Houthi-Saudi confrontation adds regional pressure

The Houthis claimed Saturday that they had targeted an Aramco facility south of Riyadh, saying the attack was part of their campaign against Saudi Arabia and their declared blockade of Saudi shipping.

AFP journalists reportedly observed flames and smoke at the site. However, Saudi-led coalition spokesman General Turki al-Malki rejected the Houthi account as misleading.

The Houthis subsequently accused Saudi Arabia of conducting 26 airstrikes against Sanaa and areas in their northern strongholds, including al-Jawf and Saada. Yemen’s regular armed forces also claimed responsibility for the strikes on Sanaa.

Military analysts, however, have pointed to the limited air capabilities available to Yemen’s government forces compared with those of the Saudi-led coalition, which has supported the government camp since 2015.

A fragile conflict enters a more dangerous phase

The latest offensive announcement and the battle for access to Taiz could mark another turning point in Yemen’s long-running war. Control of the roads around the city carries significance beyond the immediate battlefield, affecting the movement of troops, the delivery of essential supplies and access for civilians.

For Taiz’s population and the large number of displaced Yemenis concentrated in the surrounding region, any further tightening of the fighting could have immediate humanitarian consequences.

The renewed escalation also complicates diplomatic efforts to contain the conflict. With the Houthis consolidating positions in strategically important areas and the government seeking to regain lost territory, the prospect of a rapid military resolution remains uncertain.