Yemeni Forces Push Houthis Away From Bab el-Mandeb Strait

Yemeni government forces made a rapid advance on Monday to retake coastal areas around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait up to the city of Mocha, the government said.

The government said its forces pushed Iran-backed Houthis out of most areas they had seized last month.

In response, the Houthis said they attacked key locations in Saudi Arabia, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, an Aramco refinery in Rabigh, Abha International Airport and the Khamis Mushait military base.

The claims could not be immediately verified. Saudi Arabia and Aramco did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Yemeni government forces, backed by heavy Saudi air strikes, reached the outskirts of Mocha late Monday, while Houthi fighters were retreating toward the highlands, according to four government sources. The Defence Ministry said the city had fallen.

If confirmed, the advance could reduce the Houthis’ control over an important Red Sea oil route, which has already affected energy markets along with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the Houthis could still attack vessels with drones from other positions.

Fighting has continued along several front lines in Yemen for weeks after the civil war erupted again amid the wider US-Iran conflict. The Houthis have sought control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and have launched missiles and drones toward Saudi cities and infrastructure.

Heaviest Fighting in Southwest Yemen

The heaviest fighting has been reported in southwest Yemen, especially around the coastal areas near the strait and the hills around Taiz.

The Houthis damaged a culvert on the Taiz-Aden road, making the road impassable. Houthi fighters also made new advances into al-Turbah on Sunday, according to five government military sources, although another government source denied the claim.

A Houthi-run news agency reported on Monday that the group had pushed government forces out of the al-Mawasit district of Taiz province.

The developments left Taiz, a city with more than half a million people and thousands of government fighters, surrounded by Houthi forces, government military sources said.

In the al-Mudhaffar area outside Taiz, a long line of people formed outside a petrol station as residents waited for fuel and cooking gas.

“This is the daily state in Taiz,” said Shehab Hazaa.

Mecca Alliance Agrees to Deploy Military Forces in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan accused the Houthis of trying to target Islam’s holiest sites, Mecca and Medina, following a meeting between the three countries.

“The Parties also condemned in the strongest terms the attempted targeting of ⁠Mecca and Medina, ​as well as the continuing attacks targeting cities and civilian and economic facilities in the Kingdom, reaffirming their unequivocal rejection of ​any attack or threat against the Kingdom’s security and territorial integrity,” the statement said.

The “Mecca Joint Defence Agreement,” signed in August, aims to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression. It states that an armed attack against any of the three countries would be considered an attack against all three.