Airstrikes rocked Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital overnight into Friday after some of the fiercest fighting in years erupted in Taiz, the country’s third largest city, signaling a slide back toward full-scale war. Al-Masirah, the television channel of the Iran-backed Houthi militia, said strikes hit Sanaa and at least three provinces, including Taiz, blaming "Saudi aggression" by the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government. Government forces said they struck "high-value targets" in Sanaa but gave no details.
Renewed fighting last month shattered a fragile stalemate as Houthis launched a lightning offensive, seizing the entire Red Sea coast and gaining a foothold near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping route. More than 800 people have been killed and thousands injured or displaced since fighting restarted, per the World Health Organization. Col.
Abdul Basit al-Baher of the Yemeni government’s military said Houthis launched one of their most aggressive attacks in years around Taiz on Thursday, triggering "fierce, simultaneous clashes" across dozens of fronts. Government forces repelled most assaults, but Houthis captured three rural villages. By Friday, ground fighting eased, though Houthis continued shelling government-held areas.
Taiz sits at a strategic crossroads between Houthi-held north, government-controlled south, and the Red Sea coast. Expanding control there would help Houthis secure coastal gains and pressure government forces farther south. The Houthi offensive has drawn Yemen deeper into the wider U.S.-Iran conflict.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted for months as Iran launches drones and missiles at commercial ships, increasing Saudi reliance on Red Sea oil-export routes. Houthis’ foothold near Bab al-Mandab now places an Iran-backed force beside a crucial energy and trade artery amid soaring global oil prices. UN special envoy Hans Grundberg said fighting "significantly intensified" in Taiz and urged Houthis to halt their offensive, citing reports of casualties, infrastructure damage, and road closures.
Yemen, one of the world’s poorest countries, has endured over a decade of war and economic collapse. The World Food Program reported over 150,000 displaced in recent weeks, with nearly three in four households in government-held areas unable to meet basic food needs—the highest level this year. Yemeni military said air defenses shot down Houthi attack drones over Aden before they reached civilian targets, without identifying targets or reporting casualties.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing