Yemen’s internationally recognised government said that its military operation against the Iran-allied Houthis was advancing towards its objectives with Saudi support, as fighting intensified around the strategic city of Taiz and the Saudi-led coalition reportedly struck a fuel depot near the capital, Sanaa.
Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi said the government’s “Dawn of Yemen” operation was making progress, accusing the Houthis of rejecting de-escalation efforts while expanding attacks on Yemeni cities, neighbouring countries and international shipping lanes.
The Houthis said Saudi Arabia was attacking Sanaa after a Saudi-led coalition warned civilians to stay away from the Yemen Petroleum Company’s Sabah central station, a fuel depot on the outskirts of the capital. Houthi-run Al-Masirah television reported that the coalition had targeted the facility.
The latest developments came as fighting intensified around Taiz, Yemen’s third-largest city, where the Houthis cut off a main road to Aden last week, leaving government forces encircled. The internationally recognised government launched a campaign last week to recapture Houthi-held territory, regaining ground near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital global shipping route.
However, the Houthis continued their advance near Taiz, seizing the town of Mudiriyat al-Misrakh, about 25 km (15 miles) south of the city, on Monday, according to military sources. Residents reported heavy shelling in Taiz that night, which government sources blamed on the Houthis. A Houthi spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Capturing Taiz city would represent a significant gain for the Houthis, 12 years after the war first erupted, and could leave oil-rich Marib as the last city under government control in northern Yemen.
Saudi Arabia also warned the Houthis of consequences for their repeated attacks on the kingdom. The Saudi cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on Tuesday, issued the warning, according to Saudi state media.
The Houthis have targeted Saudi airports over the past week, including a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh on Saturday that killed 13 people, according to the account provided. The attacks came in retaliation for Saudi Arabia’s backing of government forces in Yemen’s renewed civil war. The strike was described as Saudi Arabia’s deadliest in a decade, with further attacks disrupting flights across the country as it hosted a major energy conference.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree also declared Saudi Aramco facilities “a legitimate target” and urged employees and civilians near the installations to evacuate. He warned that any Saudi attack on Sanaa would prompt retaliation in Riyadh.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn the Saudi enemy that any targeting of the capital, Sanaa, will be met with a tough and painful response in the enemy's capital of Riyadh,” Saree said in a post on X.
Amid the escalating hostilities, Iran said on Monday it was ready to help resolve the conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen through dialogue. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran remained concerned about regional developments and was willing to use diplomatic efforts to facilitate talks.
“We request that this situation be truly resolved through dialogue and interaction,” Baghaei said during a press briefing, adding that the conflict was not in the interests of the region or the Islamic Ummah.
(With agency inputs from Reuters and ANI)