Fighting in Yemen has escalated in recent days as the Houthis, an Iran-backed militia, try to seize territory that could give them greater control over an important international shipping route through the Red Sea, according to local security officials.
The fierce ground battles have pitted the Houthis against forces allied with the internationally recognized government of Yemen, which is supported by Saudi Arabia. The outcome has significant implications for global trade and oil markets, analysts say.
The two sides have been at war since 2014, when the Houthis seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa. Soon after, a Saudi-led military coalition intervened to restore the government, plunging the impoverished nation into a devastating that has lasted more than a decade.
A fragile peace largely prevailed after a truce was signed in 2022, with the Houthis entrenching their control of Yemen’s north, but weeks of escalating tensions with the government and its Saudi backers have threatened to reignite the civil war.
The most intense fighting in recent days has been around western Taiz, said Col. Abdul Basit al-Baher, an army officer with the Yemeni government in the region.
Colonel al-Baher said he believed the militia’s moves in Taiz were an effort to reach Mokha, a port city less than 50 miles from the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which has become a choke point at the southern entrance to the Red Sea.
In July, the Houthis declared a blockade on Saudi oil tankers passing through the Red Sea, launching missile and drone attacks at passing ships and Saudi facilities from their territory in northern Yemen. Gaining access to Mokha could make it easier for the Houthis to exert control over ships entering and leaving the sea through the Bab al-Mandab, according to Yemeni analysts.
A second security official in Taiz, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military operations, confirmed heavy clashes in those areas, and said the Houthis were trying to cut off supply routes to Mokha in preparation for a push toward the city.
Despite the intense battles around Taiz, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a Houthi political official, downplayed the fighting in an interview, calling it “nothing more than skirmishes and clashes.” He said the Houthis were focused on confronting Saudi Arabia, not its Yemeni allies.
“We remain committed to de-escalating domestic front lines and avoiding an expansion of the conflict,” he added.
Mokha is under the control of Lt. Gen. Tareq Saleh, a commander allied with the Yemeni government. His spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.
The Bab al-Mandab has become increasingly crucial for global energy markets since the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February. Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, typically ships its oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the world’s oceans that Iran has effectively closed since the early days of the war.
Saudi Arabia now relies on the Red Sea to export most of its oil, but over the past two months, renewed tensions with the Houthis, culminating in the blockade, have also disrupted that route.
Until this week, clashes between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government have been largely confined to missile and drone attacks, without major ground battles.
Yemeni analysts have said that the militia is acting in part to aid Iran but that it is also pushing to consolidate its power and secure access to Yemen’s oil resources after years of political stalemate.
The Houthis have said that their attacks are pre-emptive, accusing the Saudi and Yemeni governments of amassing forces in preparation for a ground offensive.
Vivian Nereim contributed reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The post Yemen’s Houthis Push Toward Red Sea Strait as Ground Fighting Escalates appeared first on New York Times.
