Pro-government forces in Yemen announce regaining control over Bab-el-Mandeb Strait

According to Yemeni military officials, with the support of Saudi air power, government forces managed to regain control of the port of Mocha and the area of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. Later, the Yemeni army also reported the capture of the Dhubab city airport and the beginning of the siege of the city itself, where Houthi units remained.

Houthi representatives have not yet commented on these statements. However, their controlled media outlets deny that government troops have advanced towards Dhubab.

According to the Yemeni government, fighting also began on other fronts on Monday, including towards the capital Sana'a. The anti-Houthi coalition led by Saudi Arabia stated that its fighter jets were providing round-the-clock air support to ground troops. Since the start of the offensive, according to the coalition, 324 important targets have been destroyed.

The Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV channel reported that a schoolgirl and a woman were killed in airstrikes in two districts of Sana'a on Monday. Houthi representative Mohammed Abdul Salam accused Saudi Arabia of numerous massacres and stated that the country "will fully feel the consequences" of its actions.

The Houthi-affiliated humanitarian operations control center warned civilian airlines that the airspace over Saudi Arabia can no longer be considered safe and has become a war zone. Only the airspaces over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina for Muslims were named as exceptions.

The offensive by government forces began amidst new military successes by the Houthis themselves. Earlier reports indicated that they continued to capture new positions, and the frontline was near the key city of Taiz, which remains under the control of the internationally recognized government of Yemen.

According to AFP, on Sunday, the Houthis cut a vital supply route connecting Taiz with Aden – the temporary capital of the internationally recognized government. Citing three representatives of the Yemeni armed forces, the agency reported that the Houthis took control of this area and the supply route, effectively encircling Taiz.

On the same day, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree stated that the group attacked Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Riyadh and in the oil-rich Khurais region in the east of the country with missiles and drones.

According to BBC Verify, satellite images taken on Saturday showed plumes of black smoke over the Aramco refinery in Riyadh. Black smoke was also observed over the Khurais oil field.

Yemen remains one of the poorest countries in the world and continues to experience a massive humanitarian crisis. The war began in 2014 when the Houthis captured the capital Sana'a and subsequently established control over a significant part of the country's north.

Saudi Arabia has supported the internationally recognized government of Yemen from the outset, and in 2015, Riyadh directly intervened in the war, forming a coalition of several states. Saudi and allied forces conducted intense bombings, but the Houthis managed to maintain power in the captured territories.

After several years of relative calm, the war resumed in July amidst the widening conflict in the Middle East. In September, during a rapid offensive, the Houthis captured part of the country's coastline along the Red Sea, including Mocha and the approaches to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

This created a threat for Saudi Arabia of losing an important route that could be used as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for oil exports. Such a situation was beneficial to the Houthis' main sponsor – Iran, and as a result, Saudi Arabia was again forced into direct military confrontation with the Houthis.

According to the Yemeni Ministry of Health, since August 6, at least 959 people have been killed and about 5,000 injured in the country as a result of the fighting. According to UN data, approximately 197,000 residents have been forced to leave their homes.

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