The head of Yemen's internationally recognized government has announced that the state will wage an all-out war in a bid to reclaim all territory currently held by the Houthi movement. In a televised address delivered on Sunday, President Rashad al-Alimi stated: "Today, I announce the start of military operations to retake the remaining territory of the republic and extend the authority of the state and its institutions across the entire national territory."
This declaration follows a period of intense fighting and a recent exchange of strikes between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition. The Iran-backed Houthi group claimed to have struck sites belonging to the Saudi national oil company, Aramco, in retaliation for what it described as 50 Saudi-led coalition strikes conducted within a 12-hour period. While Saudi Arabia has not yet commented on the latest claims, the kingdom has previously dismissed similar reports as misleading, mocking the group for "chasing imaginary victories."
The government's announcement was widely anticipated following a major Houthi offensive last month, which saw the group seize control of the country's entire coastline, including the strategically vital Bab al-Mandab Strait. This development effectively prevented Saudi Arabia from utilizing the coast as an alternative oil export route to the Strait of Hormuz. The current conflict, which originally erupted in 2014 when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and parts of the north, reignited in July amid the broader regional escalation in the Middle East.
Military operations are currently underway across multiple fronts. The capital, Sanaa, has been under sustained attack as government forces attempt to degrade the group's military capabilities. Fighting has also spread to the Saada region, which serves as the Houthi northern heartland. Despite these efforts, security sources report that the Iran-backed group continues to make territorial gains.
A critical focus of the conflict remains the city of Taiz, which is held by the internationally recognized government. According to reports from the AFP news agency, the Houthis have successfully cut a vital supply route connecting Taiz to Aden, the interim capital of the Yemeni government. Citing three military sources, the agency reported that the Houthis now control the area and the supply route, effectively encircling Taiz. Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow at the Chatham House think tank, stated that the Houthis have achieved the military objective of isolating Taiz from Aden, even if they have not yet fully taken control of the city itself.
The government's announcement is widely viewed as having received the approval of Saudi Arabia, which remains the primary backer of the Yemeni government. Saudi Arabia has been under constant pressure as the Houthis target its economic infrastructure. On Sunday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed the group had launched ballistic missiles and drones at Aramco sites in Riyadh and the oil-rich Khurais area. He claimed the strikes were precise and caused large fires. In retaliation, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV channel reported that Saudi Arabia conducted strikes on Houthi targets, leaving at least two people wounded on Sunday. On Saturday, the Yemeni government also reported that its forces had hit Houthi positions across the country, including in Sanaa, Saada, and areas near Taiz.
Yemen, already one of the world's poorest countries, continues to suffer under a vast humanitarian crisis as the conflict intensifies.
Smoke rises from the site of an air strike in Sanaa on 4 October
Inside Yemen's front-line city as Houthis battle for control
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