Forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government began a major offensive Monday against the Iranian-backed Houthis rebels on the country’s Red Sea coast, under an intensified air campaign by the Saudi-led coalition.
The offensive came just after the rebels said they had captured more territory in the southwestern part of Yemen, taking a key town in a blow to the Saudi-backed forces as they advanced toward a strategic provincial capital in the region.
The Saudi-led coalition spokesman, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, said 100 fighter jets were providing support to the forces of Yemen’s internationally recognized government fighting against the Houthis. He said the coalition has secured “air protection” of the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait and destroyed hundreds of Houthi targets as part of the ongoing campaign.
They never call the others US-backed…
They did say Saudi-led and Saudi-backed three times, and that’s the major force behind the continued existence of the recognized government of Yemen, particularly now that the UAE has been mostlly evicted
Recognized by the murderous conquerors.
I call them recognized because other than the sole exception of Iran every country in the world that has relations with Yemen recognizes the Aden-based government of the Presidential Leadership Council rather than the Sanaa-based government of the Supreme Political Council. It’s not me giving them a sticker to endorse they and their allies’ gruesome conduct or anything, just noting that they remain the internationally recognized government. Fully admit that Ansar Allah de facto has a better handle on the state with a considerably larger population controlled despite the tiny size it has on the map.
…because it worked so well in 2015? They were led into an unwinnable war for almost a decade.
Why go back now?
Yemen has been divided for most of the past century. Tribes, regions and religious groups each have their own agenda, so it has rarely been united. Even Ali Abdullah Saleh, the most stable ruler, had trouble from day one. After he was ousted, he allied with the Houthis to take Sanaa in 2014, then turned on them and was killed in 2017.
Tribes were always fighting and switching alliances, and Iran was well placed to back the Houthis. The UAE was involved from 2015 but had a different agenda, backing southern separatists. It pulled out after clashing with Saudi Arabia in late 2025.
Now the UAE is out, many tribes are fighting the Houthis, and Iran is under pressure, though it is still reportedly arming them.
Because if red sea is shut off they will lose almost all of their oil income.
