Yemeni Government Launches Offensive to Recapture Bab el-Mandeb Strait

The Government of Yemen launched a major military counter-offensive to recapture the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the western coastline following a lightning offensive by Iran-backed Houthi forces. While government sources report advances around the strategic waterway, Houthi officials claim to have repelled the assault. Clashes in western Yemen killed at least 63 people in a 24-hour period, including 35 government troops and 28 Houthis.

Concurrent with the ground offensive, a Saudi-led international coalition destroyed over 130 Houthi targets in a large-scale operation. In retaliation, the Houthis targeted Saudi transport hubs and oil facilities with drones and missiles, including an attack on the Riyadh international airport that killed three people. The renewed fighting, which began in July after four years of relative calm, has displaced more than 200,000 civilians.

Regional tensions extended to the Strait of Hormuz, where the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps struck the NV Sunshine, an LPG gas carrier, alleging the vessel used an illegal route. Amidst these escalations, the Kremlin stated that U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Russian involvement in efforts to reach a settlement regarding Iran.