Saudi-backed Yemeni forces launch offensive, claiming control of strategic strait

The latest escalation combines a battle for territory in Yemen with missile and drone attacks claimed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia. On October 2, Arab News reported that the Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted three Houthi ballistic missiles heading toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.

Fighting was also intensifying around Taiz. Middle East Eye reported on October 2 that sources said 80 combatants had been killed over the previous day in fighting near a waterway crucial to global energy flows.

The immediate trigger for the government's wider offensive was a Houthi advance that cut a key road linking Taiz with Aden, according to Deutsche Welle. That put the struggle over supply routes alongside the broader contest for the Red Sea coast.

On October 3, Al Jazeera reported that Yemen's army claimed more than 1,500 Houthi casualties in 24 hours and that government forces had closed a crossing between Houthi-held al-Houban and government-held Taiz. That casualty claim is separate from the earlier reported toll of 80 combatants and should not be treated as an independently established count.

The same day, the Houthis said they had attacked an Aramco facility in Riyadh with missiles and drones, according to The Hindu. South China Morning Post reported that an AFP journalist saw flames and smoke at an Aramco facility south of Riyadh, but said the circumstances remained unclear. The coalition called Houthi claims of targeting Riyadh misleading, Arab News reported.

Explosions also rocked Sanaa. World News CNA reported on October 3 that the Houthis said Saudi Arabia had carried out 26 raids on the capital. Middle East Eye separately reported that Yemen's armed forces said they were conducting strikes against Houthi targets in Sanaa and Saada.

On October 4, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi announced military operations to retake all Houthi-controlled territory, according to Arab News. The announcement came as the Houthis made fresh ground gains and effectively encircled a government-held city, NDTV News - World-news News reported.

By October 5, the Saudi-led coalition said it had attacked 324 high-value targets using 100 fighter jets, according to Sky News. Government forces also announced a strategic offensive in Sanaa, Middle East Eye reported. NYT World News described the coastal offensive as an effort to wrest control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait from the Houthis.

The government is claiming a significant gain at the Red Sea waterway, but that claim is contested. Yemen's Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said government forces had secured effective control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, while fighting continued in the area, according to South China Morning Post.

BBC News - Middle East reported that Houthi-run media denied government advances in the Dhubab area overlooking the strait. The available coverage therefore does not establish uncontested government control of the waterway.

The coalition has pledged continued operational support until Yemen's state institutions are restored and the Houthi threat is eliminated, Arab News reported. Its stated commitment extends beyond the immediate coastal battle.

The immediate issue is whether government forces can substantiate and hold their claimed gains around Dhubab and the strait. Adnkronos - ultimoratop reported that the offensive was continuing toward Mokha and Sanaa, while the Houthis disputed the government's territorial claims.

The other open issue is the scale of operations around Sanaa. Government forces have announced an offensive there, according to Middle East Eye, but the supplied coverage does not establish how far it has advanced.