Yemen’s Government Claims Securing Bab al-Mandab Strait as Offensive Begins

Yemeni pro‑government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, say they have "secured" the Bab al‑Mandab Strait at the start of a major offensive against the Iran‑backed Houthi movement.

The spokesperson for Yemen’s military stated that Giants Brigades and National Shield forces were besieging Houthi fighters in the Red Sea‑coastal town of Dhubab after taking control of its airport and cutting the road to the port city of Mokha.

Houthi‑run media denied any advance in the Dhubab area. The government also launched operations on several fronts, including the capital, Sanaa, which the Houthis took over 12 years ago.

A Saudi‑led coalition reported that its fighter jets destroyed more than 300 "high‑value" targets in support of the offensive. The head of Yemen’s internationally recognised Presidential Leadership Council declared the start of an all‑out effort to reclaim Houthi‑held territory, insisting no further de‑escalation options remain.

Al‑Alimi urged the armed forces, security forces and military formations to carry out their missions until Yemen is liberated from the Houthi “terrorist militia.” He said this comes after Houthi fighters reportedly cut a mountain road near Taiz, leaving government forces and residents trapped.

In retaliation for Saudi strikes on their territory, the Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi Aramco oil sites in Riyadh and the Khurais area. The civil war began in 2014 when the Houthis ousted the government from Sanaa, only to trigger a Saudi‑led coalition intervention in 2015 to restore government rule.

By July, a four‑year‑old informal ceasefire unraveled when the Houthis imposed a "maritime embargo" against Saudi Arabia and began missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, oil facilities and Red Sea tankers. They blamed Saudi air strikes on Sanaa airport as the cause of the blockade.

Last month the Houthis launched a surprise offensive along Yemen’s southwestern Red Sea coast, quickly pushing pro‑government forces away from territories overlooking the Bab al‑Mandab Strait, including Dhubab, Mokha, and Perim (Mayyun) Island. They denied threatening international shipping but said they would target Saudi vessels.

Since 6 August, the fighting in Yemen has killed 959 people and injured 5,000, according to the government’s health ministry. The UN reports that another 197,000 people have been displaced.