Yemen Government Announces Campaign Against Houthis

Yemen’s Saudi-backed government has announced a campaign to retake territory captured by the Houthis, as fighting intensifies around Taiz and the Red Sea coast following a reported Houthi advance toward the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Riyadh is reportedly weighing the scope of a wider offensive, while the United States is providing intelligence but has declined Saudi requests to join airstrikes. The Houthis say they targeted an Aramco facility near Riyadh, where fire and smoke were observed, though Saudi authorities had not confirmed the cause; Yemen’s government says it struck Houthi targets in Sanaa and Saada. The escalation comes ahead of strategic political and defence talks involving Pakistan, Türkiye and Saudi Arabia, and is raising concerns about energy supplies and prices amid regional shipping disruptions, with oil near $100 a barrel and OPEC+ keeping November production targets unchanged. The Houthis have also claimed Saudi forces carried out 94 airstrikes in 24 hours and threatened retaliation against Saudi infrastructure. Fighting around Taiz has brought reports of civilian casualties and severe humanitarian effects.