Yemen launches counteroffensive against Houthi forces and retakes control of the Red Sea
The Yemeni army says it controls the Bab el-Mandeb strait after weeks of Houthi advances. Fighting in Taiz leaves around 70 dead in a single day.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Yemen's army launched a counteroffensive to retake control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the passage connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, after the Houthi militia seized key territory in previous weeks. The Houthis deny any government advance and call the recapture of the strait false.
On Monday afternoon, Yemen's Ministry of Information confirmed to Reuters that government forces had gained effective control of the **Bab el-Mandeb** strait, the chokepoint giving access to the Red Sea. The fighting began before dawn in the **Dhubab** district, the most critical point of that maritime passage. The counteroffensive seeks to reverse the Houthis' biggest advance in years and protect shipping traffic along a route to which Saudi Arabia had diverted much of its oil exports.
The Houthis rejected the government's account. Sources within the insurgent group called the recapture of the strait "completely false" and said no advances had taken place on the ground. Government forces are receiving Saudi air support, as well as military and intelligence assistance from Riyadh.
## A supply route cut between Taiz and Aden
The Houthi advance in recent weeks included the overnight seizure of a supply route connecting **Taiz** and **Aden**, two of the country's largest cities. If the armed group gains control of Taiz, whose population has historically opposed its rule, it could cut one of the government forces' main resupply lines and expand its presence in areas near the Red Sea coast.
Fighting in Taiz left around **70 fighters** dead, according to sources on both sides cited by AFP. Since the clashes began in July, the total death toll stands at **1,500**, with more than **150,000 civilians displaced**. On Monday, a British maritime monitoring group reported that a commercial tanker was struck near the strait, allegedly in a Houthi attack, though no further details are available.
## Saudi backing and the appeal to Washington
Saudi military spokesman General **Turki al-Malki**, who also leads the international initiative launched by Riyadh to halt the Houthi advance, reiterated the kingdom's support for government forces and stressed his government's right to take "all necessary measures" to deter the rebels. The United States is already providing intelligence for Riyadh's operations in Yemen, according to sources in the country cited by Reuters.
However, Saudi heir apparent **Mohammad bin Salman** is reported to have asked **Donald Trump** directly for direct US military intervention against the Houthis, a request that Washington reportedly rejected, according to Axios. Several countries in the region, as well as the United Kingdom, provide military aid to the kingdom, especially to protect shipping traffic in the Red Sea against the Houthi threat to their vessels.
The insurgent group's maritime blockade comes at a time when Saudi Arabia had diverted much of its oil exports to the Red Sea, trinc the insecurity unleashed in the Strait of Hormuz by the war with Iran.
## Airstrikes on Sanaa and a blow to Aramco
On Saturday, government forces carried out airstrikes on the capital, **Sanaa**, which is under Houthi control, in an attempt to degrade the group's offensive capabilities. Local sources reported at least **thirteen airstrikes**. The insurgent group responded with an attack on the Saudi state refinery **Aramco** in **Jurais**, east of Riyadh, a strike on which the country's authorities have not commented.
The previous attack in the region occurred eight years ago, amid the civil war that broke out in Yemen in **2015**. The escalation continues to fuel antiestéticars that a new war front could open in the region, adding to the conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon.
## The Mecca Pact put to the test
Saudi authorities are expected to discuss the matter with a delegation from **Pakistan** and **Turkey**, within the framework of the so-called **Mecca Pact**, a mutual defense agreement the three parties concluded in the summer in response to the shifting situation in the Middle East. The agreement states that an attack on one member country constitutes an aggression against all, but neither Sarracinabad nor Ankara has so far taken sides in Riyadh's conflict with the Houthis.
The situation in the Red Sea affects international shipping and oil prices, so it is advisable to trinc official communications from maritime authorities before making decisions that depend on that route.
On Monday afternoon, Yemen's Ministry of Information confirmed to Reuters that government forces had gained effective control of the **Bab el-Mandeb** strait, the chokepoint giving access to the Red Sea. The fighting began before dawn in the **Dhubab** district, the most critical point of that maritime passage. The counteroffensive seeks to reverse the Houthis' biggest advance in years and protect shipping traffic along a route to which Saudi Arabia had diverted much of its oil exports.
The Houthis rejected the government's account. Sources within the insurgent group called the recapture of the strait "completely false" and said no advances had taken place on the ground. Government forces are receiving Saudi air support, as well as military and intelligence assistance from Riyadh.
## A supply route cut between Taiz and Aden
The Houthi advance in recent weeks included the overnight seizure of a supply route connecting **Taiz** and **Aden**, two of the country's largest cities. If the armed group gains control of Taiz, whose population has historically opposed its rule, it could cut one of the government forces' main resupply lines and expand its presence in areas near the Red Sea coast.
Fighting in Taiz left around **70 fighters** dead, according to sources on both sides cited by AFP. Since the clashes began in July, the total death toll stands at **1,500**, with more than **150,000 civilians displaced**. On Monday, a British maritime monitoring group reported that a commercial tanker was struck near the strait, allegedly in a Houthi attack, though no further details are available.
## Saudi backing and the appeal to Washington
Saudi military spokesman General **Turki al-Malki**, who also leads the international initiative launched by Riyadh to halt the Houthi advance, reiterated the kingdom's support for government forces and stressed his government's right to take "all necessary measures" to deter the rebels. The United States is already providing intelligence for Riyadh's operations in Yemen, according to sources in the country cited by Reuters.
However, Saudi heir apparent **Mohammad bin Salman** is reported to have asked **Donald Trump** directly for direct US military intervention against the Houthis, a request that Washington reportedly rejected, according to Axios. Several countries in the region, as well as the United Kingdom, provide military aid to the kingdom, especially to protect shipping traffic in the Red Sea against the Houthi threat to their vessels.
The insurgent group's maritime blockade comes at a time when Saudi Arabia had diverted much of its oil exports to the Red Sea, trinc the insecurity unleashed in the Strait of Hormuz by the war with Iran.
## Airstrikes on Sanaa and a blow to Aramco
On Saturday, government forces carried out airstrikes on the capital, **Sanaa**, which is under Houthi control, in an attempt to degrade the group's offensive capabilities. Local sources reported at least **thirteen airstrikes**. The insurgent group responded with an attack on the Saudi state refinery **Aramco** in **Jurais**, east of Riyadh, a strike on which the country's authorities have not commented.
The previous attack in the region occurred eight years ago, amid the civil war that broke out in Yemen in **2015**. The escalation continues to fuel antiestéticars that a new war front could open in the region, adding to the conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon.
## The Mecca Pact put to the test
Saudi authorities are expected to discuss the matter with a delegation from **Pakistan** and **Turkey**, within the framework of the so-called **Mecca Pact**, a mutual defense agreement the three parties concluded in the summer in response to the shifting situation in the Middle East. The agreement states that an attack on one member country constitutes an aggression against all, but neither Sarracinabad nor Ankara has so far taken sides in Riyadh's conflict with the Houthis.
The situation in the Red Sea affects international shipping and oil prices, so it is advisable to trinc official communications from maritime authorities before making decisions that depend on that route.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (0 replies).
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