Houthi advance in Yemen brings fresh Saudi, US, global quagmire
Iranian-supported proxy group threatens militant control of pivotal Bab el-Mandeb Strait as part of a deadly offensive that displaced thousands of Yemenis.
Publishing note: I hope everyone's doing well. I'm back with a pretty deep look at ongoing developments in Yemen and the Red Sea. Thank you for your continued support of Conflict Journal.
Houthi rebels in Yemen launched its first major sweeping ground offensive in four years, taking control of land held by the internationally recognized government and seizing a maritime strait pivotal for global trade.
The stunning advance by the group, officially known as Ansar Allah (supporters of God) and backed by Iran, has brought new challenges to Saudi Arabia, the US, local Yemeni leaders, global economies, and thousands displaced, wounded, and killed in Yemen.
Here's a rundown timeline of events:
- In early September, the Houthis attacked government forces in Taiz—a major population center in the country—with missiles and drones before a ground assault. Saudi-backed government forces attempted to respond to the attacks.
- Hundreds were killed on both sides of the offensive, including civilians.
- The Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of conducting deadly airstrikes in Yemen, which Riyadh did not comment on.
- The militants then attacked four cities in southern Saudi Arabia, including several energy facilities—which Riyadh confirmed, adding dozens of people were wounded.
- Waves of exchanged fighting between both Houthi rebels missiles and drones attacks on Saudi territory and Saudi force air raids in Yemen continued.
- Houthi militants battled westward and northbound for control in Yemen's al-Jawf and Hodeidah provinces before pushing into Marib and Mocha regions.
- The group announced that it held Yemeni Red Sea coast after it seized the strategic Red Sea port of Mocha.
- Government forces said the Houthis captured the islands of Hanish and Mayun (0r also known as Perim) in the Red Sea—raising alarms about Houthi control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Catching up on historic context, the Iranian-supported Houthi militant group has been at war with the internationally-recognized government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, since at least 2014 when Sanaa fell under Houthi control.
The impoverished country has been in a prolonged civil war among several factions, rival governments, and ethnic clans, including the Houthis. Riyadh has led a regional coalition with a military campaign to reestablish control by the anti-Houthi government.
A delicate ceasefire was reached in 2022, violated with errant missile and drone attacks between the Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces. And the Houthi surprise offensive attacks beginning this September were "described as the fiercest since," Al Jazeera reported.
"Reports of civilians killed and injured, families displaced and civilian infrastructure damaged are deeply troubling," UN's special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said in a statement.
"Yemen has already endured more than a decade of conflict, and a return to sustained large-scale fighting will carry grave consequences for civilians and make an already difficult path toward a political settlement even harder."
Yemen has also long been recognized as undergoing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises for years, with millions often displaced and in need of assistance through poverty and famine conditions
More than 85,000 people have been displaced, and at least 2,000 have risked traveling the seas to Djibouti's shores, the UN migration agency reported.
"Behind every number is a family who's lost everything," the International Organization of Migration's director general Amy Pope said in a statement. "Many have been displaced multiple times. People are crossing the sea with nothing because they have no other choice left."
And the Houthi capture of the Red Sea coastline could seriously threaten global maritime travel through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, potentially compounding onto the crisis in the nearby Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has been curtailed by Iran for months.
The militants declared in July a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia and the fresh territorial gains ups that ante with wide-ranging repercussions.
Closure of the Bab el-Mandeb route, blocking Saudi oil exports, would have global oil supply plummet by 7% and global trade by 12%. Oil prices have already been rising as a result of this threat.
“The Houthis have completed their takeover of the Bab al-Mandeb area," a Yemeni government official told AFP.
Beyond the paywall below is a hefty look at Houthi gains, Saudi Arabia's positions, Iran's involvement, and the US spot in this developing conflict. Your paid subscription allows access and helps pay for human expert curation here.
“It very much feels like Yemen is one step away from a humanitarian catastrophe. The international community must act to prevent Yemen from falling into the abyss and for donors to ensure Yemen’s chronically underfunded humanitarian crisis, finally gets the funding it needs," Action for Humanity acting chief executive Assim Khmaja said.
"Yemen was already one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises before this latest escalation. Today, we are witnessing families being displaced once again, arriving in safer areas with little food, limited access to clean water and no certainty about what comes next.” Support the organization's fundraising appeal for aid in Yemen.
