The Yemeni government announced the launch of a major military operation to reclaim territory from the Houthi rebel group, which has controlled large parts of the country for over a decade amid intensifying conflict.
On Sunday, 4 Oct 2026, Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi issued an official televised statement declaring the start of a major military campaign to retake all areas occupied by the Houthi rebels and to restore state authority across the entire country.
This announcement came just hours after the Iran-backed Houthi group cut off the main supply and reinforcement route between Taiz (the Yemeni government's temporary capital) and Aden, effectively besieging and isolating Taiz.
The conflict reignited in September when the Houthis seized territory along the Red Sea coast near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, another critical global oil shipping route, considered a second frontline following the Strait of Hormuz crisis.
Meanwhile, Yemeni government forces and Arab coalition allies led by Saudi Arabia have intensified airstrikes across several areas, including Sana'a, the capital long held by the Houthis, and Saada province, the group's main stronghold.
On Sunday, a Houthi military spokesperson claimed their forces launched missile and drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s Aramco oil facilities in Riyadh and Khurais, stating these were in retaliation for over 50 Saudi airstrikes within the past 12 hours.
The escalating conflict, targeting Saudi Arabia’s energy infrastructure and the blockade of Saudi energy exports and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, combined with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is significantly threatening global oil supplies and the world economy.
Yemen, embroiled in civil war since 2014, remains in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The United Nations estimates that over 23 million people—about 65% of the population—urgently need food and sanitation aid, with the renewed fighting worsening their plight.
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Source:bbc