Yemen’s internationally recognized government announced on Sunday, October 4, 2026, a major military campaign to retake territory controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, threatening to widen the civil war and endanger shipping through the Red Sea.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said government forces would continue operations until state authority was restored nationwide. The announcement followed rapid Houthi advances along the Red Sea coast, including reported control of territory near the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The Houthis have held the capital, Sanaa, and much of northwestern Yemen since 2014, despite years of attacks by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Western allies.
Government officials said the campaign would involve forces on all active fronts, while a Saudi-led coalition pledged full operational support. The Houthis claimed that Saudi Arabia had carried out dozens of air and missile strikes in Yemen and said they had launched missiles and drones at Saudi oil facilities, though those claims were not immediately independently confirmed. Fighting has also intensified around Taiz, where Houthi advances have threatened key roads and raised fears that the city could be isolated.
The renewed offensive is expected to worsen Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, displace more civilians and increase risks to commercial vessels using the Red Sea route.