Yemeni government claims gains near Bab al-Mandeb as Houthis warn airlines

Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have attacked multiple Houthi targets and say they have recaptured several key areas from the Houthi movement on Yemen's Red Sea coast. The Yemeni government says it has secured effective control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a vital oil route. The fighting had threatened another oil route in the region at a time when energy exports were already hit by the war on Iran, helping to push up global prices.

The government says its forces have launched attacks on multiple Houthi positions, including in the Houthi-controlled capital, Sana'a. It also says it has taken back control of Mokha on the coast. The heaviest fighting is reported near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, where Saudi jets are attacking Houthi positions in the Dubab district and in the hills around Taiz, a city close to a main road leading to Aden, the Yemeni government's interim capital. Footage circulated online appears to show Houthi fighters killed or captured by government forces, and pro-government forces taking a military camp in Dubab.

In a social media post, President Rashad, who is backed by Saudi Arabia, announced the start of a push to retake territory. "By the blessings of God, Operation Yemen Dawn has been launched to restore state institutions, liberate the capital Sana'a, and end the Houthi terrorist militia coup," he said.

The Houthis have responded. Their military spokesman said on the previous day that they had launched missile and drone attacks on two facilities run by Saudi state-owned Aramco. The group then issued a warning to all airlines flying in Saudi airspace, saying it would not be safe as long as what they called aggression continued.

Analysts questioned whether the government advance would change the wider threat to shipping. One assessment said the advance is fragmented and may not curtail Houthi gains. The Houthis' ability to interrupt international trade is likely to remain, whether they are at Bab al-Mandeb or 150 kilometres away. Yemen's geography and terrain give those who control the mountains leverage over the Bab al-Mandeb, the Gulf of Aden and a good stretch of the Arabian Sea. Pushing the Houthis back from al-Makha may therefore not make a major difference to shipping and trade routes through Bab al-Mandeb yet.

In Taiz, where Houthi forces are trying to cut off government forces, residents are queuing for fuel. Roads and petrol supplies have been cut, food prices have risen and work is scarce. The United Nations says 184,000 people have now been displaced. Many have nothing more than the clothes they are wearing. As fighting continues, there is nowhere to go.