Yemeni President Rashad al-Alimi addresses the nation to announce an offensive against the Houthis from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 4, 2026. (Credit: Yemeni News Agency/Reuters)
The war in Yemen is in a new phase of confrontation with Saudi Arabia’s fourth direct military intervention since 1934, as Riyadh seeks to secure its strategic southern front.Last month’s Houthi attack on Riyadh and the rebels’ rapid advance toward Mokha and Bab al-Mandeb have changed Saudi calculations. After four years of de-escalation following the 2022 truce, the pro-Iranian rebels are again seen as a direct threat to Saudi national security and exports through the Strait of Hormuz and now the Red Sea. An offensive launched Oct. 5 by Yemeni government forces, backed by massive Saudi air support, has reversed this momentum. Some context Yemen: Riyadh tries to regain ground at Bab al-Mandeb The anti-Houthi camp claims to have recaptured Dhubab and Mokha and regained access to the strait, although the extent of these gains remains...
The war in Yemen is in a new phase of confrontation with Saudi Arabia’s fourth direct military intervention since 1934, as Riyadh seeks to secure its strategic southern front.Last month’s Houthi attack on Riyadh and the rebels’ rapid advance toward Mokha and Bab al-Mandeb have changed Saudi calculations. After four years of de-escalation following the 2022 truce, the pro-Iranian rebels are again seen as a direct threat to Saudi national security and exports through the Strait of Hormuz and now the Red Sea. An offensive launched Oct. 5 by Yemeni government forces, backed by massive Saudi air support, has reversed this momentum. Some context Yemen: Riyadh tries to regain ground at Bab al-Mandeb The anti-Houthi camp claims to have recaptured Dhubab and Mokha and regained access to the strait, although the extent of these gains...
