Yemen presidency announces military drive to retake all Houthi territory
Yemen's presidential council has announced a new military offensive to reclaim territory from Houthi rebels. This comes as Houthi forces continue to make gains, including cutting off a vital supply route to the besieged city of Taiz.
Why it matters
The escalation threatens to further destabilize the region and disrupt critical shipping lanes near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Yemen's leader announced on Sunday (October 4, 2026) the start of a new military operation to retake all territory held by the Houthis, even as the group made fresh gains on the ground, effectively encircling a government-held city.
The announcement sets an ambitious goal for the embattled government, which recently lost large swathes of the country's Red Sea coastline and areas around the Bab al-Mandab Strait — a chokepoint for international shipping — after a lightning offensive by the Iran-backed Houthis.
Yemen's government has struggled to roll back the surge, even with the military support of Saudi Arabia, where the Houthis said they had attacked oil infrastructure in the capital yet again on Sunday (October 4).
Also covering this story
8 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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