Yemen's government announces all-out war to reclaim land from Houthis

The leader of Yemen's internationally recognised administration has declared an expansive military campaign aimed at reclaiming all territory under Houthi control, marking a severe escalation following days of reciprocal strikes involving the rebel group and a coalition led by Saudi Arabia.

Speaking in a televised speech delivered from Riyadh on Sunday, President Rashad al-Alimi stated that operations had commenced to recover the rest of the republic and restore official state governance throughout the nation. The declaration follows major territorial shifts last month, when Houthi forces captured the nation's Red Sea coastal zone, including access points along the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The pronouncement coincides with a fresh round of cross-border violence. Houthi military representative Yahya Saree claimed on Sunday that the group targeted Saudi Aramco installations in Riyadh and Khurais using drones and ballistic missiles. Saree described the attacks as direct hits that ignited substantial blazes, framing the strikes as retaliation for dozens of coalition aerial bombardments over a 12-hour span. The Saudi government had not issued an official response to the claims regarding Aramco, though Riyadh has historically disputed similar assertions by the group.

Concurrently, strikes have hit Houthi strongholds within Yemen. The group's media outlet, Al-Masirah, reported injuries following coalition bombardments, while government forces stated they carried out strikes against rebel sites in the northern bastion of Saada, near Taiz, and within the capital, Sanaa, which has remained under Houthi authority for over ten years.

Despite the renewed government push, security developments on the ground point to continued rebel advances. Ground clashes remain intensely focused around Taiz, an essential urban hub still loyal to the recognised authorities. Military sources reported via AFP that Houthi units have severed the primary transport corridor linking Taiz to the interim administrative capital of Aden, cutting off the city and establishing territorial control over the route. Analysts noted that while the group has not seized Taiz entirely, severing the supply line successfully isolates the city from southern government strongholds.

The conflict in Yemen initially escalated in 2014 when the Iran-aligned Houthi movement overran Sanaa and drove the established government out, prompting a military intervention by a Saudi-led alliance the following year. A protracted humanitarian catastrophe ensued across the nation. While a period of reduced hostilities lasted for several years, clashes reignited forcefully in July as wider regional tensions deepened. The Houthis' recent capture of maritime corridors has renewed direct confrontation between the insurgent movement and Saudi Arabia, threatening critical energy transportation infrastructure and regional stability.